Before we get on with our weekend full of holiday links & other fun stuff I just wanted to take a short minute to acknowledge the loss of my little friend Mika this past week. You may or may not know how much of a bird lover I am. I adopted him from a family friend in August and he quickly become my friendly & chirpy roommate. He fell suddenly ill this past week, losing the use of his one foot and just rapidly declining. He became a puffed up, non-moving, shell of his former lively & playful self.  It was hard to watch him suffer and I had to make the tough decision to have the vet put him down humanely as there was no helping his condition. It just happened so fast. My place is so oddly quiet without this little guy. He will be missed!