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On September 2, 1980 my dad took me and my older sister Deanna to the nursery at Memorial Hospital and pointed to a baby in the window and said meet your baby sister Stacie.  I looked at the baby in the window and looked at my dad and I said “but I don’t want that baby!” and pointed to another baby in a different window and told him “I want that baby over there!.” But my dad said I couldn’t pick my sister and Stacie was coming home with us.  We had a three bedroom house and when my parents brought Stacie home they set up a crib in their room.  I used to go in there and talk to her in her crib and tell her stories all the time. When she got a little older my mom asked me and my sister Deanna which one of us wanted to share a room with her and I begged and begged to let it be me! (What was I thinking?!?! She got into all my stuff and knew all of my hiding places) but it worked out fine. It was kind of cool not being the little sister anymore cause then I wasn’t the one being picked on!!! Me and Deanna would team up and used to tell Stacie she was adopted, that she had the mail mans eyes or that she was found in a cabbage patch. (That was back when cabbage patch kids were really popular) so she would run to my mom crying and we would get in trouble.

I loved being the middle child, because I was old enough to hang out with Deanna and her friends and go to the mall and check out boys, and when Deanna got a car her friends used to do my hair and make-up and let me cruise Chester with them on Friday and Saturday nights. Deanna was cool and never cared that I tagged along with her and her friends. I was also young enough still to go outside and play tag with Stacie and her friends so I got the best of both worlds. I loved it because I was a little sister and I had someone to look up to. I loved being a little sister and I remember I always wanted to do everything my big sister did.  If she was having a bad day I would try to do everything I could to cheer her up.  I remember when I was two and Deanna was 4 my mom took us to the carwash. We were sitting in the car while my mom was washing it (she was 8 months pregnant with my sister Stacie) and Deanna was sad because she wanted to go home and play. So I decided to jump in the front seat of the car and drive us home if mom didn’t want to take us home I would!! So I got in the front seat and started the car and it started coasting down the hill. (And my poor 8 month pregnant mom had to jump in the car and stop it.)  But that was just me I always wanted to help my sister!!! As much as I loved being a little sister I loved being a big sister more.  Being a big sister meant I had someone that looked up to me and wanted to do all the things that I got to do.  Which I thought was so cool.

My sisters are my best friends when we were little and one of us got into trouble the other two would go and comfort the one who got into trouble.  But most of the time it was the three of us scheming and getting into trouble together. We have always been there for each other be it happy news sad news whatever.  I just know my sisters got my back and I got theirs. I am so glad on September 2, 1980 I couldn’t pick out my baby sister, because I got the sisters I was meant to have and I wouldn’t trade them in for anything in the world!

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Questionable Treatment for Some Iraq Hero’s

Veteran Care is Under Review as More Than 22,000 Are Discharged with 'Pre-Existing' Personality Disorder, Which Some Say Developed During War. This diagnosis has resulted in these soldiers losing medical benefits. War is a very ugly thing seeing people bleeding to death and dying is not something anyone is ever going to forget.  Then to come home from the war
and have your benefits stripped from you due to “Pre-Existing Personality Disorder” is just wrong.
It is known as a "Chapter 5-13" — "separation because of personality disorder." The Army defines it as a pre-existing "maladaptive pattern of behavior of long duration" that interferes with the soldier's ability to
perform his duties.
In practical terms, this diagnosis means the personality disorder existed before military service, and therefore medical care and disability payments are not the military's responsibility. But some veterans and veterans' advocates have been vocal in their belief that personality disorder is being misdiagnosed in combat veterans.
The Dave Matthews Band is urging fans to push to Congress to do more to ensure that U.S. troops coming home traumatized by combat get the help they need. There is a petition on the bands website urging you to sign to help protect our Veterans. They are asking you to go to this link:
http://web.davematthewsband...  and sign the petition which asks the Secretary of Defense to formally report in detail to the American public on each of the issues raised in these allegations and confirm that
all of our servicemen and women are receiving the medical benefits they have rightfully earned. If this is not provided, or if the Secretary of Defense's report is inadequate, Then they strongly urge that Congress hold
hearings to allow our veterans to speak. This war has many tragedies; they want to do whatever they can to make sure this is not another one. Please join them.  Let’s protect our veterans for all that they have done for us.

The Pentagon and Congress are reviewing possible changes to the military’s much-criticized mental health system. “It just struck me as profound injustice that someone who had given so much of themselves and clearly showed such a quality of personality that the gratitude we’re showing them was basically a dishonorable discharge.” Matthews said.

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You Know Your From Bakersfield When...

You go to Los Angeles to get some fresh air.

You will park a mile away from the entrance just to have your car parked under a tree.

Instead of people thinking you're "rich" for having leather seats, they think you're stupid.

You laugh when people complain about 95 degree weather.

You're bored one day, and decide to go to 6 Flags Magic Mountain.

You're not worried about the big "California fires" cause by the time it gets any closer, they close the Grapevine.

You've seen the "Stairway to Heaven of lights" while coming back to Bako at night on the Grapevine.

You know to call it "Bako" and why we call it that.

You know what "White, Ming, Rosedale, Calloway, and Panama" mean

When you go out of town & you see a sign saying "Union Ave" you expect to see a hooker.

Rosedale is a world all its own.

Rosedale ALSO needs to be turned into a sitcom.

You remember the TWO times in the last 25 years that it snowed in Bakersfield, and you remember everything you did that snow day.

Everyone always says they're going to leave, but you know that if you try, Bakersfield is like a vacuum and ...after awhile you get sucked right back here!!

You take the "California Roll" at a stop sign to a whole new level.

You know where all the "haunted houses" are when Halloween comes around

You know what an "08er is", where "the Dale" is, and what a "Dalion" is.

And then people who actually MADE it out of this city sit here & laugh at these because they know they're TRUE.

One of your friends owns a house on a spot where you had field parties in high school.

You know the ingredients in a George's Special, or have ever had a "Black and White" for lunch.