The Peanuts Gang took the day off, yesterday, and earlier this morning, the bench near my house remained bare.   When I passed it by on my way to getting my second Moderna vaccine, I was sad to see it empty. 

When I returned, my spirits lifted when I spotted a new addition:  Rerun!

Rerun van Pelt is Lucy and Linus’s little brother.  Born on May 23, 1972, Linus decided to start calling his baby brother “Rerun,” because big sis, Lucy, compared having a second brother to TV reruns.  (I’m sure that’s what my big brother thought of me when I came along after living his first 3-1/2 years with two older sisters.)

Always sporting a cool pair of overalls and spiky hair, Rerun was most often spotted on the back of Mom’s bicycle looking terrified.

At the ripe old age of 1, Rerun joined Charlie Brown’s baseball team.  A few weeks later, their team actually won their first game; however, they were forced to forfeit, due to a gambling scandal.  It was later revealed that Rerun had bet on the game with Snoopy.  At his tender age, it appeared as if Rerun was already making a shady reputation for himself.  As for Snoopy, well, we all know about his shenanigans!

Following the scandal, Charlie Brown wouldn’t let Rerun play on his team, telling him he was too young and too small.  Rerun accused Charlie of discrimination, obtained a court order (signed by no other than Snoopy, the “World Famous Attorney”), and finally got to play.

Rerun also had a go at basketball, when Linus attempted to teach little bro how to play.  The tyke wasn’t any good at the sport, though, and often kicked the ball in frustration, only to have it bounce back at him.  At one point, Rerun tossed the basketball in his closet, closed the door, and said, “You can come out when you learn to behave.”