My Surreal Memories Coming Back

Several years ago I was casually looking around for a new job. At the time I was a member of a new philanthropic board. We met to talk about supporting a new after school program. In fact, when we began the program was in its planning stages. At one of the early meetings it was decided that the program would need a full-time director in order to really be successful. At the end of the meeting I approached the chair and said that I would like to more about the position because I might be interested. As I walked out and glanced back I thought I saw an excited look on her face.
Fast forward a couple of weeks (I went to Siberia to visit my missionary parents and some other things) when she called me and asked why I hadn't applied. I told her that the salary wasn't high enough. She asked what it would take and said OK after I gave my answer. Then she  invited me to have lunch with her, the assistant school superintendent, the head of social services and others that I can't think of right now in order to formalize things. We ate at her gas station restaurant and it was surreal.
This posting isn't really about that so I'll fast forward to this week.  The Foundation was started by Patricia Kluge and her husband William Moses. She was the board president.
Now I'll turn to journalists from Luxist to tell the next part:

Yesterday, Sotheby's, on behalf of billionaire Patricia Kluge, concluded the two-day auction of the contents of Kluge's home, Albemarle House. The sale, which totaled $15.1 million, exceeded pre-sale expectations of $9 million to $14 million.
Collectors, interior designers, and dealers from all over the world participated in the two-day auction. The auction followed the week-long exhibition at Albemarle House, Kluge's 45-room English country manor. The sale was 88.5% sold by lot with 61.5% of the sold lots achieving prices above their high estimates. The $15.2 million achieved brought Sotheby's overall total for sales of property from Kluge's collection (including sixteen pieces of jewelry sold on April 20, 2010) to $20.2 million.

It was kind of a big deal around here. There were some detractors because money generally brings controversy, but I have to say that Patricia and William were always generous and gracious with me during the 4+ years of our association.
That said, I felt kind of like a voyeur going through the photos on the Sotheby's Catalogue site to see the cost of things that I sat on, ate on, walked by, etc. on my visits to Albemarle House. I probably won't ever have another experience where a butler knows my drink preference without being told. Nor will I be asked to meet at the Africa Room by the pool, or a myriad of other things that might come from a movie, but the memories are fond and now I know that the dishes I ate from are definitely worth more than the ones in my cupboards.