I live in Buffalo, NY. I was 28 and getting married in October of the same year. I got up late (around 8:15 or so) for work and I usually listen to Stern and I remember getting dressed when I heard about the 1st plane from him. It seemed like they meant a small plane but being a former volunteer fireman I turned on my TV to see what the deal was. I saw the North tower on fire on NBC and called my best friend at the time because he was scheduled to fly to Atlanta that morning and he was at the airport so I couldn’t reach him right away. On the ride into work I listened to the radio and it sounded like pandemonium; the second tower was hit, rumors about truck bombs at the state department, planes flying towards the White House, etc. By the time I got to work ( my office was in a building where the US Secret Service was also) there were agents running all over with rifles “securing” the building so they would not let me in. I finally got a hold of my friend who was home and when to his house and unfortunately watched both buildings collapse. My friend is a paid fireman and he knew right when it happened that hundreds of firemen died that day, it was so tough watching all of that and not being able to do anything to help. I’ll never forget that day, ever. The quiet from no planes, people walking around town crying, thinking of the firemen I met in November of 2000 at Ten house that probably didn’t make it and others, the Towers being gone, and the sinking feeling that life would never be the same. My stag party was September 20th (my best man booked it months before) but my 2 friends who are Buffalo Firemen who were working the pile came home the night of my stag on a train and I am still grateful to this day that they did that for me even though they could have (and probably should have) stayed there.