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We walked around and looked at all the sale items, took more pictures and decided that we'd go 'do' lunch. 

Someone suggested Jekyl & Hyde as our touristy eatery of choice.  I called Bill - and the entire group went out for a bite.  Not to get too much into details, there must have been 10 to 12 people at the table and a waiter that I think had never waited on anything but a bus in his life!  Someone in the kitchen decided that John was low on iron - and added some rocks to his salad....  I had the stone burger.  It wasn't that the burger had stones in it, but it was cooked to the point that it laid there and imitated a stone.  Hard as a rock, as they say.  Now in  my diary I have become a food critic!  Yet, as bad as it was, the food didn't matter.  John and I had someplace to go.  The party disbanded - and John and I caught a cab back to Christie's East.

My heart was in my throat by this point, we certainly didn't want to be late!  Right about now - I was wishing that we hadn't eaten!  Christie's was closed, yet we walked on in the door, it was ok, because we had an appointment at 2:30! 

We were greeted by a lovely woman who said, "One of you must be Steve?"  I just about died right there on the spot.  I was face to face with Ruth Landini.  I bent over and kissed her on the cheek, while at the same moment just about stepping all over her poor foot.  (Keeping in mind that I'm NOT tiny!)  She very calmly said that Tony was out on the floor at Christie's talking to James Comisar.  Imagine that, the owner of the ruby slippers was chatting with the owner of the Cowardly Lion costume.  By this point, we saw Tony walking our way we made our introductions and we began our trek up three flights of stairs to one of the conference rooms. 

On the way up the stairs, Tony totally knocked our socks off, when he said, "This is for you, guys."  He was already doing John and I the greatest favor in the world by allowing us in the same room with his shoes, but he made it into a very special gift.  When Tony said that John looked back at me - and we both about died.

Tony, Ruth, John and myself were joined by Colleen, a Christie's employee who had been carrying a rather large tupperware container.  She was there for only a moment, excused herself and left, at which time Tony took the lid off the box and started removing tissue paper, exposing the Holy Grail of movie memorabilia.  He put on his white linen gloves and pulled out his ruby slippers and placed them on the table in front of us.
 

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There was a little bit of chit chat, getting to know each other kind of stuff, and Tony said something about 'getting our gloves on.....'  By this time I was literally speechless.  You've got to know about me, that under ordinary circumstances, I'm very shy, but by now I was hardly able to carry on a conversation.  I sat down in the chair at the end of the table and put my gloves on, like a surgeon getting ready for the operating room. 

Tony asked, "Are you ready?" I asked "if anyone knew CPR?" and Tony placed the left shoe in my left hand.  The right shoe in my right hand.  I was trembling and I told John grab my camera.  John was taking pictures, Ruth was taking pictures, Tony was ready to put the shoes down and let John have his turn, when I realized that no one had yet taken a picture with my own camera, so Tony picked it up and clicked this picture.  It's the only one I have of myself holding the shoes (hint!).
 

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Then it was John's turn.  What can I say, John maintained his composure throughout the meeting!  And the rumors you've heard is true, John did actually smell the inside of the ruby slippers!  I have video tape PROOF!
 

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Then we took pictures of Tony holding his shoes for the last time.  John and I both felt that this was history in the making.  Then John and I had our picture made with Tony. We naturally, had to have a picture of Tony and Ruth together.

When it was about over, John and I asked Tony for his autograph.  He autographed my Christie's catalogue on the inside with the ruby slippers picture with the blue background, and signed Johns on the cover.

Tony thought he could get by with a handshake at the end of our meeting - wrong!  He and Ruth got a hug from both John and I that day.  In simplest terms, Tony made "the dreams that we dared to dream, come true" today.  This is a situation where words couldn't express our gratitude enough!  I just hope that Tony realizes what this meant to us both.

When John and I left Christie's, our feet didn't touch the ground for hours!

My favorite thing is that I'm lucky enough to have the entire thing on video so I can relive this 'moment' for years to come!  Yet, at the same time, I will never be able to express my gratitude to Tony, John or Bill for making this all possible.