Operation AJ--Finding Miss Right

That match needs a cute dress!

Good Monday To All,
We kick the week off with our matchmaking efforts on AJ"s behalf.  As you will recall, Red, his mother, handed us the reigns in this matter.  Lucky AJ.  On the other hand, God works in mysterious ways, and who knows--maybe beyond anyone's belief, we'll actually find a bride for this 34-year-old bachelor--in which case, we'd like an invite to the wedding.

Last week, readers sent in questions which we compiled (adding a few) and sent to Red.  Her pithy answers are in RED.  We like to make things easy around here.  For additional background info/pictures, go HERE.  Also, we consulted with C. Smelker, professional surrogate matchmatcher, on the most important aspect (after prayer) of bringing two people together.  She said:


Do they agree on the big issues? Are they on the same page as a possible partner when it comes to goals for life, religion, money goals and so on. If you don't agree before the relationship gels it is not going to magically change when you get together. And don't think it will be okay to agree to disagree on the big things; it won't work. 

Good advice to keep in mind during this process.  Now let's learn more about this mysterious and handsome young man--and try not to hold his mother against him.

AJ's Questionnaire
In No Particular Order
Yes, dear, that’s fine. He likes no particular order, too.

Do his socks make it to the clothes hamper?
Only if the hamper happens to be where he drops them.

What character trait is the most important to him?
Which character? It would help to know who you’re talking about to tell you if their traits are important to him.

Pick your favorite muscle car… (What about the car makes you picture you and your bride sailing the American highways in this little gem.)
1. '69 Volkswagen Bug
2. '80 American Motors Pacer
3. '65 American Motors Rambler
4. '09 Ford Focus
5. '74 rusty Chevy Vega
His daddy had a 1971 Barracuda while his mama had a 1967 Camaro. He would choose either one of them.

How old was he when he killed his first tomato?
He was living in another state, in the country on 5 acres of land. We had a ½ acre garden and this particular year we had over 100 tomato plants. While AJ was a very patient child growing up, this year when AJ was about 8 years old he and his siblings lost it after picking tomatoes from over 100 plants. Wham! Bang! Whop! Splat! And, a tomato died. Yes, AJ was caught “red-handed” with tomato juice splatter on his clothes.

Was it a slow death, or did he put it out of its misery quickly?
No, AJ has never been slow.

Which of these is his hero, and why?
A. Sauron (from Lord of the Rings)
B. Darth Vader (from Star Wars)
C. The Big Bad Wolf (from Little Red Riding Hood)
D. Agent Smith (from The Matrix)
E. Ursula (from the Little Mermaid)
Lord of the Rings was one of his favorite, but he and his dad (Honeybun) love watching the Star Wars movies over and over again.

If you had he had his wedding dinner catered, which of these fine establishments would he choose to cater it?
A. Pizza Hut
B. McDonald's
C. Burger King
D. White Castle
E. Taco Bell
That’s a hard answer since AJ loves to eat but he’s really tired of fast food. If those were his only choices, however, he’d probably choose Taco Bell because he LOVES Mexican food

What is his favorite sport?
NASCAR

What is the most adorable thing AJ did/said in his childhood?
As you can see from the photo, he had a fascination with scissors and loved to cut his own hair. He finally graduated to cutting his sisters’ hair, the dog’s hair, and the little girl’s hair who lived behind us. This mama was never so glad to see a child grow out of something!


What was his first word?
There is a long story here that will be left untold until he meets Miss Right. God did a miracle in AJ’s life when he was a little boy. His first word was actually not a word we would recognize. It was “doof”. But it was HIS word and we rejoiced!

When did he learn to walk?
AJ was walking at about 10 months.

What is AJ's educational background?
Yes, he’s educated and he has a background! AJ is mostly self-taught in his field and holds many certifications by Microsoft and other technical schools.

Does AJ like vegetables other than tomatoes?
Yes, he actually is a great eater and enjoys many vegetables, especially green beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, fried cabbage, corn, and more.

Does AJ workout?
No, he usually works in; it’s hard to do his type of work outside.

How does AJ feel about God?
He is a believer in God and a defender of His name.

Why did his last relationship fail?
The young woman wasn’t ready for a committed relationship; it broke AJ’s heart.

Is he a PC or Mac guy?
No, honey, being "politically correct" is not important to him as he has very strong opinions; he's very conservative in many ways although he likes Big Mac’s.

Where does he sit in the movie theater?
Usually in one of the seats unless it’s standing room only.

Where does he sit in a classroom?
The last few he’s been in, he’s been teaching, so he’s been at the front of the classroom.

Has he gotten any speeding tickets? If so, how many?
Yes, I’m afraid so. But the good Lord teaches us, "He who has no sin, let him cast the first stone!"

What kind of tipper is he?
He gives us both tips all the time. He knows so much more about computers and technology than we do, so he’s really generous that way.

What's his favorite quality in you, Red, his mother?
He tells me all the time that he loves me because he can talk to me and I don’t judge him. He knows he can come to me and I’ll give him sound advice after I listen without interruption. We have a very strong relationship, something I cherish in all my children!

If he had to be one of the founding fathers, which one would he be?
Although not a “founding father”, he would say Lincoln is his favorite historical character since his grandfather looked like Lincoln and his character reminded people of Lincoln—stately, wise, careful to choose his words, and not flamboyant.

What's his favorite building material?
Brick
Vinyl
Wood
Glass
Metal
AJ studied architecture for a while and enjoys unique things. If he built a house, it would probably be brick.

Who is his celebrity crush?
He doesn’t have one, although he likes Ziva David on NCIS.

Is he a risk-taker?
Yes, and probably to a fault. This is why he needs a young woman with a good head on her shoulders to help him think through things before taking those dangerous risks.

What is his favorite season?
He likes to use a lot of garlic and pepper when he cooks.

Does he remember important dates like birthdays and anniversaries?
He seems to remember Christmas and Easter – Jesus’ birthday and the anniversary of His resurrection. Those are important, right?

Boxers or Briefs?
He doesn’t like watching boxing matches too much, even when they’re brief. If you’re asking about something else, I think that’s something that should remain privy to his wife, don’t you?

Does he hold doors open for women?
Yes, he is a gentleman.


Does he have good taste in shoes?
I don’t know that he’s ever tasted his shoes, but I can ask him.

How much did he spend on his last pair?
He likes nice shoes but will look for bargains. I think asking the price is a bit tacky, though.

What are his favorite books?
AJ likes historical fiction, mysteries, and thrillers.

Favorite kind of music?
He listens to some country music, definitely not into heavy metal or rap. He also likes international flavors.

Favorite kind of movies?
Sci-Fi, Creature movies, Spy movies, and similar.

Most important quality he looks for in a woman?
There are probably several:
She will be soft-spoken and mild-mannered (like his Mama?)
She will have an inner beauty that is visible
She will have a genuine smile
She will be content to be a wife and mother  (hmmm--AJ may have to bend on this)
She will dream with AJ about their lives together and then set about realizing that dream
She will be accepting and forgiving and kind

What makes AJ laugh?
He loves watching little kids do silly things. He also loves watching cats and/or dogs do funny things. He loves being around his family and you’ll often find him laughing or joking around with them.

What will AJ say when he finds out about this?
He will just laugh about it and think we’re all nutty. But, then, I’ll catch him reading and telling me what he really thinks about things. He’s got a great sense of humor unless he’s trying to concentrate on his work, and then I know not to bother him.

Is there anything else you want us to know about AJ?
He's got a lot to offer; the one main thing lacking in his life is someone to make him feel complete, loved, and accepted. A mama can only do so much, ya know!

Well, there it is, folks--the picture of AJ becomes more focused.  The next step in Operation AJ is to find some possible matches.  They may contact us by email or the comments section or through you, the Reader. They may chime in anonymously or not.  Let's spread the net wide, via email and Facebook.  There's surely a Miss Right out there among our very own connections. 

After all, we don't want to resort to auctioning the poor lad off on eBay.

Lisa and Maddie