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I have sisters, plenty of sisters. Well, four to be exact.

And while growing up in that environment has afforded me a lifetime of knowledge and experience, there are mysteries I could never penetrate.

For example, did you know that if left to their own devices, sisters, when grouped together, will put in a dress and apply makeup to anything within arm's reach? You did? Yeah, well I guess most brothers learn that at some point.

The mysteries remain impenetrable mostly because I've never been a sister. And as such, there are certain things I just don't understand. And will never understand.

I'm living through it again as my own daughters get older.

Claire and Leigh, who are 7 and 5 and the two oldest in the family, have entered the rivalry phase of their sister relationship. And if I'm remembering right, the phase goes on for eternity.

Just last week, we were climbing into the car to go to the store. The girls got into the back seat, and Leigh announced she wanted to sit in the middle. She wanted to ride the hump. When I was a kid - and granted, we were riding around in a station wagon - no one wanted the hump. But for some reason it's Leigh's favorite place to sit.

Claire doesn't really have a favorite seat. When I take her to school and it's just the two of us in the car, she couldn't care less where she sits in the back seat. That, of course, changes the instant Leigh enters the picture.

Leigh calls the hump, and Claire immediately says she wants to sit there. And then, to secure the moral high ground, Claire adds that it's her turn to sit on the hump. Leigh, not to be outplayed, claims Claire was the last one to sit on the hump and it's actually her turn.

An interesting argument given that Leigh oftentimes can't remember if dinner is the meal you eat in the morning or the one you eat in the evening. If pressed, there's no way she remembers who sat where the last time they were both in my car.

So they argue. To Leigh's credit that night, she capitulates and tells Claire she can have the hump. Leigh is going to sit by the window. And for reasons far beyond my powers of comprehension, Claire discards Leigh's offer like a day-old newspaper and tells her she actually wants to sit by the window.

Luckily, the car has two windows. After a few minutes of arguing who gets to sit behind Dad, and a few threats to march the girls back inside, we get it all straight and take off to the store.

It baffles and amazes me. I watched my own sisters fight like this when I was in elementary school and they were in junior high and high school, so I know I'm going to be dealing with this for years to come. It's not a comforting thought.

But I'll deal with the future when it gets here. For the time being, the hump is off-limits.

Rob Rogers can be reached at 225-8217 or at rrogers@redding.com.