With the celebration of life for SP having happened yesterday, when I was writing this article, I could not wrap my head around discussing fitness. So, here’s my scattered recollections about SP.

After The Great Migration, I was just another schlub on this site tossing in my two cents on the topic of the moment. During April 2018, internet marketing got discussed. Out of the blue, I got an email from SP about what I was doing with my law firm. She graciously volunteered to answer some technical questions.

In August 2018, I couldn’t find some vegan recipes WebDom had posted because I’m dumb. So, I shot off an email to SP. She found those recipes for me and showed me how to search the site. She was plenty busy with other things, but she took the time to save me from my own lack of tech savvy.

A year later, SP reached out to me with some legal questions about OMWC’s mother. Apparently, I dodged her question in the comments, so she emailed me. Needless to say, I was glad to provide what advice I could. Because OMWC was threatening to move yet again, I offered to let SP and Wonder Dog move in with me and Moe. Her reply, “You are super sweet, but you need to learn to be careful what you offer to complete strangers!” I guess she did learn something from her time with OMWC.

That exchange led to my first article on the site several months later. That, in turn, lead to this lightly edited email exchange:

Chafed: Hi SP. I miss GlibFit and would like to resurrect it. Are you interested in having me do this? If so, what is the commitment?

SP: We’d love to have you do this. As you recall, in the past, it’s been many different things depending on who was “running” it. It can be almost anything you want. It can be weekly for a set number of weeks, or monthly for however long. Up to the HMFIC. That’d be you!

Chafed: I’ll do it if you tell me what HMFIC stands for.

SP: LOL. Head MotherFucker In Charge. I was trying to be polite!

I did not see that one coming from our house mom.

From October 2019 through August 2021 SP edited GlibFit. Most weeks were just an email with a reply confirming she received my article with the occasional email add-ons about our dogs, something on the site, or something that caught someone’s attention.

In August 2020 I let SP know my writing may get erratic because my wife was filing for divorce. SP completely understood, offered me some advice, and invited me to come over and stay a few days whenever I would like. We had never met in person and still this invitation was extended.

I was invited to SP’s birthday party in January 2021. I wasn’t going to miss a chance to meet her in person (and some other members of the Gliberati). I flew to Phoenix and somehow spent most of the night talking with other Glibs. I went to say my goodbyes when she buttonholed me. She had the sweetest way of interrogating me about my divorce and making sure I was protecting myself. It was the one and only time I spoke to SP in person.

We continued our weekly email exchange until August 2021 when SP told me Tonio would be taking over editing this column. SP and OMWC had moved to New York. The café had been purchased. All the changes were taking a lot of SP’s time.

I assumed at some point in the future I would be able to see SP again. We all know what happens when you assume. I never did get to ask her what SP stands for.

This week’s music.

[Bonus remembrance track from your editor.]