For exactly the reasons you mention, I usually fold AT from early or middle position. From late position (or maybe middle position at a very passive table) I will raise with it, a standard raise - 3xBB or whatever. AJ I am slightly more inclined to raise from middle position regardless of the table, but I hate that hand in early position - doesn't seem good enough to open with & so many yet to act. Sometimes I will limp AJ from early position and see what comes about. If someone else raises, I'll guage the player and size of the raise, and see if I feel like calling or folding. A lot of times at the tables I play, you can just limp in if you feel like it (as happened to you here) - but that can lead to its own kind of trouble. I'm very sensitive to making a pair of aces with these hands, and if someone else really comes alive I'm not going to hang in there betting like mad. The kicker is not that good to make it worth risking my stack. Also, at a very aggressive table where every hand is getting raised before the flop, I probably wouldn't even play AJo from early position. AJs I'd limp in and treat kind of like suited connectors.

- All of this assumes full ring, btw. The rules change for smaller games. AJ and AT aren't great hands in a 10 man game, unless you're in late position with an unraised pot. Then, fire away.