5 Brews, 3 Birthdays, 2 Cakes and 1 Giant Party

In the chaos of searching for our beloved Sender, yesterday’s special occasion was nearly overlooked – it was Niko’s 21st birthday. What started out as a dreary day spent driving around suburban Tallahassee looking for our lost pup transformed into the best Monday within the span of a few hours.

For dinner, I treated Niko to a hearty meal of ravioli and stuffed manicotti at Little Italy. Afterward, we met up with a cheery collection of friends for drinks and conversation at the Fermentation Lounge off All Saints. It was my first time visiting the venue, and I can assure you that I will be making a return trip very soon. Niko ordered a ‘flight’ sampler of five different beers, while I sipped on my favorite Magner’s cider that I used to drink in France. The vintage-inspired Fermentation Lounge proved to be a charming bar with an equally charismatic staff, who gifted Niko with a complimentary pint upon learning it was his birthday.

As the evening progressed, Niko and I made our way to the first Florida State Climbing Club meeting of the semester – and this is where the fun begins. Three club members were celebrating birthdays on Monday night, including our Vice President, Caleigh. To celebrate, my companion Cealey and I devised a plan to surprise the trio with cakes and an impromptu serenade of the birthday song. We stealthily distributed festive noisemakers and advised all the climbers to be alert for the moment the music was cut off and we entered with candlelit cakes. With our accomplices ready, Cealey and I stole out to the parking lot to assemble our grand surprise.

The celebration was a huge hit. Although it took Niko nearly a minute to come down from the rock wall after we started singing, the trifecta of birthday kids came together to blow out the towering candles on their messy cakes. A crowd quickly formed around Cealey’s phenomenal baked goods, and I had a great time dancing to funky music as I distributed sloppily ‘cut’ chunks of chocolate and funfetti cake. It was easily the best club meeting we have ever had; everyone was dancing, climbing strong, munching on goodies and reveling in the rock gym’s delightful company.

When the 10 o’clock hour struck, the Climbing Club meeting dissolved, and the majority of the crew headed to El Jalisco’s for dollar tacos and margaritas. Niko and I briefly passed by, then retreated to Jeff’s house for a more low-key ending to our evening.

To top it all off? Jeff shared news with us that a quaint lady phoned him with information about Sender. She was found near the intersection of Tharpe and High Road, and was taken in to the Humane Society – safe and sound. Jeff picked her up this morning, and I am anxious to pay my little pup a visit with lots of treats.

Thank you, readers, for spreading the news about Sender. The Morning Fresh received an unprecedented amount of traffic from concerned people who were eager to help bring Sender home, and thanks to everyone’s dedication, we found our pup.

Here’s to wishing you a wonderful Tuesday, and a fabulous rest of the week. The forecast for Rocktown has miraculously cleared up, so it looks like our climbing trip is back on track. Now I just need to make sure my tiny car will be able to trudge up Pigeon Mountain’s winding switchbacks in the snow…