I must begin by saying A.T. is a very private but easygoing person, who dislikes talking about himself. From the moment we included a Q&A section, we began receiving personal questions pertaining to our author. Needless to say, he never answered any of them, saying this site was about The Bachelor and Bachelorette, not himself. Finally, it came to a point readers began to complain their questions were being ignored. After I spent several weeks hammering away, A.T. agreed to answer some questions about himself. We compiled the most interesting ones, and sat down with him on a one on one. What follows is unedited and unrehearsed, since we didn’t inform A.T. what questions would be asked.
Wendy Thompson. Publisher and Interviewer
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Q. It wasn’t easy getting you here, I have to admit, but I wish to thank you for humoring us.
A. You can be very persuasive.
Q. Explain to our readers how you became involved in this project?
A. It was during B-2. I began predicting, for fun, which women would be going home every week, and was certain Helene would end up being Aaron's choice. Several acquaintances picked up on it, and did a good job of convincing me to continue with my insights. The Wednesday night episodes became an excuse for a weekly get together, and a sort of entertainment therapy for everyone involved.
Q. Personally, who is your favorite bachelorette?
A. It's hard to name only one, there are several from each series that stand out in my mind. I didn’t watch B-1, but from B-2 I liked Hayley, Gwen, Erin and Helene. From B-3 Audrey, Tiffany and of course Jen.
Q. Where were you born?
A. The windy city, Chicago.
Q. Age?
A. Thirty nine.
Q. Marital status?
A. Recently married (Summer 2004).
Q. Favorite sport?
A. Alright sport fans, don't tear me up, but I honestly can't think of one sport I enjoy watching. I'm a bookworm at heart. Sorry!
Q. How do you keep in shape?
A. I attend Martial Arts classes three times a week. Just in case you're wondering, I'm not as good as Bruce Lee YET!
Q. What do you and your new love do for fun or enjoyment?
A. We enjoy a variety of activities, but our favorite would be a long weekend in an ocean front cottage, or simply curling up in front of a fireplace while watching a good movie. We also enjoy traveling, especially if we just pick up and go, without a pre-planned itinerary, like we did for our honeymoon.
Q. Favorite place to live?
A. Somewhere with an ocean view.
Q. Most memorable vacation?
A. Some years ago when I traveled through Great Britain in a Mini Cooper with a sun roof. For those who have never seen one of these specimens, imagine a car the size of a bathtub with a lawnmower engine. I was thankful the car had a sunroof, or I would have been hitting my head every time I drove over a bump. I enjoyed driving through the small villages, staying at the local bed & breakfast, and visiting the medieval castles along the way.
Q. What era would you have enjoyed living in?
A. Late nineteen century England.
Q. Why?
A. I love the elegance and romance associated with that era.
Q. Do you consider yourself a realist or a romantic?
A. I am a hopeless romantic, I'm afraid.
Q. If you could have met anyone in history, who would that person be?
A. Albert Einstein, because I feel he took many more interesting theories to the grave. I would have also enjoyed understanding how his mind worked.
Q. What is the silliest thing you have ever done?
A. I went to a Halloween party dressed up as a baby. I was much younger then, but everyone who attended that party still remembers me.
Q. Saddest memory?
A. September 11, without a doubt.
Q. Happiest memory?
A. The day I first saw my wife, in a library setting, and I convinced her to have lunch with me. She totally blew me away that day, and I have yet to "touch ground".
Q. Last but not least, describe what you would consider an ideal partner.
A. All right, here it goes, someone gentle, kind, understanding, affectionate, romantic, with a good sense of humor, even tempered, adventurous, carefree and extremely patient, considering she has to deal with me. The good news is I consider myself lucky enough to have found this person.
In the summer of 2007, A.T. retired and moved to Europe with his family. He currently teaches Modern European History at a local university in Northern Spain.
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