General Discussion

Awsi Dooger

(14,565 posts)

36. I was in Las Vegas -- woke up late -- and my roommate didn't mention it for hours

Mon Jan 28, 2019, 02:09 PM

Jan 2019

Nice apartment but we only had one television. My roommate Bobby Bryde was on the couch watching rented movies with his girlfriend. It was a comedy so I sat down and watched the end of it, while still groggy. Then we watched another comedy movie.

I had no reason to believe anything had happened. Then at the end of the second movie Bobby perks up. "Oh, did you hear? Did you hear about the space shuttle? It blew up."

Bobby frantically clicked the channel to CNN as I sat there in astonishment. I couldn't believe he didn't think it was significant enough to mention when I walked out there hours earlier. Likewise it never dawned on his girlfriend to say anything.

Bobby was a good guy. Huge hockey fan. Normally I didn't get to watch television in the apartment because he always had a hockey tape from a night earlier. Bobby was just starting as a hockey handicapper in 1986. He ended up gaining lots of Las Vegas notoriety along those lines. He was nicknamed, "Herr Hockeymeister" and had an annual hockey betting guide that was very popular. He transitioned to the internet well. Unfortunately Bobby got cancer and died young maybe 13 or 14 years ago. When he died I posted several anecdotes on the gambling site tributes to him, including about that day when the Challenger blew up.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

41 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

The Challenger explosion happened 33 years ago today. [View all] imanamerican63 Jan 2019 OP

I remember exactly where I was on that terrible day. CottonBear Jan 2019 #1

I actually saw it in person. Tommy_Carcetti Jan 2019 #2

I remember watching that on live tv duforsure Jan 2019 #3

I was in the 3rd grade, we watched from the basket ball dewsgirl Jan 2019 #4

I remember it vividly. I wish I didn't, frankly. hlthe2b Jan 2019 #5

I saw it from about 100 miles away. lpbk2713 Jan 2019 #6

I was stationed at NAS Fallon, NV chwaliszewski Jan 2019 #7

I was a school nurse mgardener Jan 2019 #8

I just sat down my cobol class and the professor announced it. nt Javaman Jan 2019 #9

Wall Steet (remotely) Roy Rolling Jan 2019 #10

I was home sick from school that day. forgotmylogin Jan 2019 #11

I was too Polybius Jan 2019 #23

remember teachers trying to explain/comfort us JI7 Jan 2019 #12

I was driving to class at the university. sarge43 Jan 2019 #13

Yes, I remember it very well ... It was a very unusual day jimlup Jan 2019 #14

We were in a management meeting that morning lillypaddle Jan 2019 #15

I remember it well... Joe941 Jan 2019 #16

I remember. Sadly, both shuttle disasters were caused by launching in cold temperatures. CaptainTruth Jan 2019 #17

I got laid off because of that skydive forever Jan 2019 #18

And yesterday was the anniversary of the Apollo I Fire in 1967 Blue_Tires Jan 2019 #19

I remember it very well. musette_sf Jan 2019 #20

Thanks for your good story. riversedge Jan 2019 #30

I was across the state in Bradenton, FL, leaving for lunch with a friend... PeeJ52 Jan 2019 #21

I was teaching First Grade....... MyOwnPeace Jan 2019 #22

Oh my, that would have been awful FakeNoose Jan 2019 #37

It was one of those things where I didn't trust my eyes... Phentex Jan 2019 #24

8:39 am in California. My fiancee was driving me to work and we heard on radio. Auggie Jan 2019 #25

Watched from an upstairs picture window. 4TheArts Jan 2019 #26

I was teaching 9th grade at a boy's school. B Stieg Jan 2019 #27

I was in the Army in Germany. bluedigger Jan 2019 #28

We had a blizzard in ND. No classes, so great opportunity to actually watch the riversedge Jan 2019 #29

Was working in a bank and a guy ran in and told us the challenger blew up kimbutgar Jan 2019 #31

Heard it on the car radio driving to work treestar Jan 2019 #32

I Was In Atlanta RobinA Jan 2019 #33

I have always held that this is a root of a fundamental difference between Boomers and Millenials LongtimeAZDem Jan 2019 #34

We boomers experienced a lot of horrible tragedies onenote Jan 2019 #35

Agreed, but we also saw great achievement and promise, from Apollo to Woodstock LongtimeAZDem Jan 2019 #38

We also grew up under the constant threat of nuclear war. leftyladyfrommo Jan 2019 #41

I was in Las Vegas -- woke up late -- and my roommate didn't mention it for hours Awsi Dooger Jan 2019 #36

I was in Junior high... Hong Kong Cavalier Jan 2019 #39

Boy do I remember that day. And then the news played leftyladyfrommo Jan 2019 #40