Please post the dog rescue page here when you can.
It sucks that the world is under these restrictions, as many of us wold gladly show. Even though most of us have never met in person, this group is made up of our people, and our people are good people.
So sorry to hear this. Really can't imagine what you're going through.
Also, a big animal lover here and would love to do my part to support the rescue she cared so much for.
I'm definitely in for donation to dog rescue in her honor.
Wally,
Thinking about you today. Love you brother.
Allen
Thank you everyone for the love and support, yesterday was difficult but we all got through it. I'm still a bit numb to everything without her.
The dog rescue people have set up a page for her for all that have asked, thank you all again.
https://donorbox.org/jodimiller
Thanks for posting this.
Wally (Forum Supporter) said:Thank you everyone for the love and support, yesterday was difficult but we all got through it. I'm still a bit numb to everything without her.
The dog rescue people have set up a page for her for all that have asked, thank you all again.
https://donorbox.org/jodimiller
That is a great photo!!!!
Donation Done!
Wally,
I have now had some time to process this and I want to say that my heart hurts for you as I am sure many many others here do. All of us here don't always see eye to eye, but like family, when it really matters we circle the wagons and support our own. I am but one very small voice in the GRM family but I want to know that I care and sit here wanting to do more. If we could take the hurt away even for just a second we would move mountains to make it so. But this is something that only time can mend. It is such a helpless feeling when there is nothing you can do to help those that are hurting.
Stay strong my friend. As others have said if you need anything just ask. If you just want to vent have at it we all want to help. Wally you are a great person and never forget it. You have made me laugh out loud many time over the years here in the forum and now is the time that I wish I could return the favor. All I can say is I have faith that you will get through this!
Dean Smith
Well I just popped on the forum today and saw this thread...this is one of those situations where offering condolences feels trivial, like I'm trying to put out a five-alarm fire of heartbreak and loss with a dinky squirt gun of thoughts and prayers. But, for whatever it's worth...sorry for your loss.
Hi Wally,
Thank you for sharing the link to the dog rescue. You are in my thoughts and prayers. I'm closer to the city than most (SW CT) so if you ever need something, please reach out!
Wally just checking in on you.
I wanted to let you know I got a very nice email back from Camp Crocker Rescue this morning. They seem like really great people.
Thank you, I'm doing as well as I can. My mother came up for a while and then I went down there for a few days so today has been my first day on my own and it's had a few difficult moments for me and also for Ollie who doesn't understand what happened but overall we managed to do ok. I've got a lot of things to adjust to and to take care of still but eventually I should be ok. Part of me is looking forward to returning to the E36 M3show at work for a bit of a diversion.
Thinking of you every day, Wally!
In reply to Wally (Forum Supporter) :
I love you man. Hope you can feel the hug from FL.
Thank you for being here. We love you.
Wally,
I am not sure if you have posted in the last couple of days, so I am just checking in. There is no need for you to respond, but it can be pretty easy to fall down a hole and not want to come back out. Take the space to grieve, but when you get a chance, would you share a story about Jodi with us?
matthewmcl (Forum Supporter) said:Wally,
I am not sure if you have posted in the last couple of days, so I am just checking in. There is no need for you to respond, but it can be pretty easy to fall down a hole and not want to come back out. Take the space to grieve, but when you get a chance, would you share a story about Jodi with us?
Yes, I would love this
I've got hundreds of funny stories, when I get time I'd be happy to share one.
Wally (Forum Supporter) said:I've got hundreds of funny stories, when I get time I'd be happy to share one.
We'll be here waiting.
I just saw your original post. My heartfelt condolences to you and your family. If my wife died, I couldn't talk about it with my best friend because she would be gone too. I have a feeling the same is true for you.
I had lunch with my mother in law the other day and we got to talking about how we met online, our rather odd long distance dating, and the sense of adventure her mother never knew she had.
Jodi dreamed of seeing the world for as long as I'd known her but growing up with three siblings and parents on a budget the only traveling they did was an annual camping trip to a nearby park and a few weekends in Cape Cod. We had been dating not quite a year when I was invited to a friend's wedding in Charlotte. Her best friend was in South Carolina whole her husband finished school at Clemson and my best friend was in Norfolk so I suggested we take a ride down to see them. She could hardly contain herself and we spent the next couple months planning our trip.
It went nearly perfect and once she saw what was possible she was constantly thinking of new places to see. We loaded her Escort up and made the drive to Charlotte in a day. We were tired but when we checked in to the hotel the clerk said there was an event at the speedway. If you bought some leftover merchandise from the race teams money went to charity and you could lap the speedway. We got there just as it was wrapping up, bought some T-shirts and wound out the little teal caras hard as she would go, probably high 90s but the giggling and smiles were priceless. While I was a huge nascar fan she had only known of it through me and didn't follow it until then. The next day at the wedding she sat with some of my old racing friends as we told stories, and Kenny Wallace and his wife who were the nicest people imaginable and made her a fan for life.
The next few days we did shop tours where we ran into Jeff Gordon, who again she didn't know and kept referring to him as the guy that gave us ice cream. He had Edy's ice cream as a sponsor and there was a cooler in the lobby where we bumped into him and he handed us some.
After dragging her through most of Charlotte we headed to her friend's in Greenville. They spent a few days catching up at the house and we took a few trips hitting the BMW museum and some local historic sites.
Then we took the long way to Richmond so we could hit the Petty Museum in Level Cross. It had been closed in the way down and I am a big Richard Perry fan so it was disappointing. When we got there Jodi realized she left her purse with most of our money, cards, etc at Bob Evans where we stopped for lunch. It took us about an hour from lunch to the museum so I told her we'd go back when we were done but she was very nervous. The nice ladies at the counter started talking to Jodi Gump and then yelling at me, I was being thrown out of the museum by Linda Petty, Mrs. The King. She gave us directions so it only took about 20 minutes each way, possibly through someone's field, and stayed open until we got back, so it wasn't a total loss.
From there we took some two lane road across the state of Virginia that was painfully long getting to Norfolk at about 3am. We were on our own the next day while everyone was at work so she wanted to see the Cheasepeak Bridge Tunnel. Jodi was so impressed with it she had me go back and forth several times and each time we stopped to watch the water from the rest area in the middle. The next day we hit a doll house store, she was big into doll houses at the time, a cruise around the harbor, and then we went shooting. She had never shot a gun before so when my friend suggested it she had to try it. I don't know if anyone else did any shooting that day, I just kept reloading and sighting for her until the range was ready to close. From there we headed home and she just kept talking about where else we could go and how she didn't know you could just pack up and go places so easily. The rest of our life she remained every bit as enthusiastic about every trip whether it was a ride around town or a thousand miles away. That sense of wonder and amazement at everything around her made life so much fun every day.
Our first goofy roadside pictures, November 1998 in Gaffney SC.
Awesome story! Keep them coming!
In reply to Wally (Forum Supporter) :
That's a great story. I'm sitting here smiling as I read it. Then the picture of the peach. I spent a great part of my childhood about 50 miles down the road from there.
Thanks for sharing your memories with us.
Thanks, Wally. Whenever I see a 500 I think of the two of you off on an adventure. About 6 years ago in Tucson I posted a pic here of a Fiat the same color as yours, suggesting you were there. 
You'll need to log in to post.
