Answer!

Sorry it's late. I got derailed by ER visits, doctor appointments, and the usual stuff of life.
Here we go with the answer!

1. One year my sisters and I decided to decorate Mom's birthday cake with fresh lilacs. When cake time came around, we had a nasty mess of disgusting flowers and gross icing. I can't remember what happened next, except that we ate the cake anyway. I know there are pictures of the three of us holding this cake that we absolutely slaved over and were very proud of. Very true. A nice gesture, I suppose, considering Mom said lilacs were her favorite flower.
2. We'd planned a birthday blowout on a significant birthday year for mom. It was supposed to be a surprise, but I think she knew. Anyway. We had pouring down rain, ticks, and a gas leak siren during the party. Apparently, we were supposed to evacuate the area, but we had no idea. No one died. And I think it turned out okay, despite the mud and wetness. True. We had a blast and since we were unaware about the gas leak, we were just very annoyed by the siren.
3. Several years ago, we went out to a Chinese buffet for Mom's birthday. Eight out of ten of us ended up with food poisoning. I managed to be one of the lucky ones, probably because I wouldn't touch Egg Drop soup with a ten foot pole. Everyone always jokingly suggests that we try it again, but no one ever means it. Never happened.
Might be back with more later!
Behave!