Baht's Birthday Without the Fuss

Baht is a nearly eight-year-old Maltese, and she has zero interest in parties with people she does not know. This year we kept it small: a plain cake from a bakery near Ekkamai made without sugar, one candle she ignored, and a walk along the soi while everyone fussed over her. She wore a bandana for exactly four minutes.

Honest truth: I spent more on her cake than on my own birthday dinner, and I would do it again. Next year I will just buy her a new squeaky toy.