"Bud For President!" ... =(

My good friend Bud died a few days ago, at the young age of 33...heart attack.

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Bud was the most genuine, kindest, funniest, most smart-ass, live-life-out-loud, do-anything-for-his-friends, kinda' guy...

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...HE WAS THE ABSOLUTE BEST!

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I loved him, and I cannot believe this world will be without him...he was a true and amazing LIFE-FORCE of brilliant, white light.

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EVERYONE LOVED BUD...and I mean, EVERYONE!

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For the past several months, he had this huge, professional yard-sign propped-up in his front yard: "BUD FOR PRESIDENT"...and it was just sooo "Bud"... =(

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I attended his wake today...I am going to the funeral in a few hours. I will most definitely drown in my own tears.

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I don't know how I am going to make it thru this day......and see his 3 little girls cry for their daddy.

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This world is definitely a much sadder place without Bud in it...without him in our lives.

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Bud introduced me to my husband in 1999...I BEGGED him to!

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I made him get out of bed one night when he was sick as hell with the flu, to go out with my girlfriend and I to go see Gary's band play. I KNEW I had to meet that man...and he was basically Bud's surrogate uncle.

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So...one thing led to another, and...BAM! After that night, Gary and I were inseparable for years.

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Bud called me "Aunt Snow*" forever after that day... (even though he and I were not that far apart in age...but I was still AUNT SNOW*...and I laughed every single time he called me that! ;)

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He was one of the usher's in my ENORMOUS, fairy-tale wedding......I had to give him strict instructions to NOT carry my mom down the aisle! To simply escort her...and nothing else! LOL! He actually did as I said...although it WAS very tempting for him!

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Bud worked his second job as a bouncer, at the bar next to the one I worked at for the past 5 years.

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On Tuesday nights, all the bars on Main Street would have "Hip Hop/College Nite"...with DJ's spinning stuff to make your ears bleed! ;)

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Well, we were SUPER busy, and massive brawls would invariably break out every Tuesday...I was SURE I was going to end up getting shot one night! Ughhh...

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We did not have a door guy for a few months...and whenever the huge fights would begin, I would climb over the bar and run next door, and yell, "HELP!" at Bud!

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He would rush over and save the day! Bud was as strong as an ox...and he could freaking CLEAN HOUSE!

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No one messed with Bud...and if they did, they were in extreme peril. He was my champion on many occasion.:)

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I will miss him terribly...

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I will miss laughing with Bud...most of all, I will miss hearing what he had to say NEXT.:(

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I dedicate a song in honor of him...

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"TATTOO", by Jordin Sparks...here are just a few lines from it...

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"Live every second like it was my last one...

Don't look back at a new direction...

I loved you once, needed protection...

You're still a part of everything I do...

You're on my heart just like a tattoo...

Just like a tattoo, I'll always have you...

I'll always have you, I'll always have you"...

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~~~I love you Bud~~~

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***BUD FOR PRESIDENT***