Speaking of Birthday Balls, I went to the Navy one here in Hawaii last weekend. Formal, good time, lots of liquor to help you make a fool of yourself in front of all the brass (but that is another story)... I don't know if you guys have the same ceremony of cutting the cake, but you take the youngest and oldest sailors present and cut the cake. They would call out, everyone born after 1980 please stand, you get 20 people standing up, then they start working it down. Well, the kicker was that the last person standing was a female in a ball gown. And you could tell, everyone was just scratchin their heads, maybe she was Air Force or something and came as a date??? She walks up to the cake and tells her name and rank to the Cdr running the podium. A brand new Ensign! Ahhh, the intelligence for self preservation obviously wasn't instilled in this one. You could have heard a pin drop. My wife leans over and asks me, "umm, shouldn't she be in uniform?", I responded "I think she is about to have so much brass fall on her it is not even funny...."
Oh well, silly Ball story, whether they are Navy or Marine Balls, they are good social events and to celebrate your history and the traditions to which you belong. Also, you know the significant other is just itchin to go get that dress and get all decked out.
Frumby, your analogy is inacurrate, I don't drink coffee... (but... mmmm... donuts!)