A special assistant from Washington, D.C....

Aaron Thompson

What was your favorite aspect of playing Jeopardy!?
My favorite aspect of playing Jeopardy! is just the wide variety of knowledge you need to know--just sort of having to take different, y'know, pieces of knowledge out, y'know, out at different times. And just... I guess that's it. And just being able to use it all at once.

Did you prepare differently for this Tournament versus for other Jeopardy! games?
I prepared a little differently for this Tournament than my previous appearance, but it was about the same. I basically went over old episodes, um, practiced with a click-pen while watching it, watching the show, uh, every night, and I read books, just trivia books that I got at the bookstore.

How has your life changed since your appearance on Jeopardy!?
I have been treated a little differently, uh, since I was on Jeopardy! the first time. Um, when people--when I tell people that I was on Jeopardy! they always get really excited, and, y'know, they always, like, make me answer things in the form of a question, and things like that. So... My boss the other day in a meeting, y'know, asked me something, and "You have to answer that in the form of a question!" So...

How have you spent your past Jeopardy! winnings?
I spent my Jeopardy! winnings, uh, by going on vacation, uh, with my parents and my grandfather, uh, in Northern Spain. We actually took a pilgrimage, uh, to a shrine called Santiago de Compostela in Northern Spain, which is something that my grandfather wanted to do, uh, since I was living in Spain, uh, in 2002. So that was a lot of fun. And I bought, y'know, a bunch of different stuff: TV, digital camera, stuff like that.

2006 Tournament of Champions wildcard semifinalist: $10,000.
Season 21 3-time champion: $57,899 + $1,000.

Jeopardy! Message Board user name: AaronThompson