CLICK HERE TO GO TO PHOTO ALBUM!!!

Thanks to all of you who participated in TBOX7, absolutely, positively chicago's all-star, full-on, sign-all-waivers, double black diamond, category killer, four-star, five-alarm, pedal-to-the-medal, extra-everything, "what, is everybody in the world here?", triple-caffeine, grind-the-gears, bursting-with-fruit-flavor, grande-burrito-with-guacamole, turbo-charged, crash-the-boards, cook-the-books, you-must-be-this-tall-to-ride, green-light-on-three-and-o, full-contact, mythic, epic, super-sized, extra-crispy, hurricane-force, ours-go-to-eleven (well, 12 actually), curiously strong, ditch-the-office-party, "do you have any idea how fast you were going?", world-rocking, front-car-of-the-roller-coaster, big-budget-special-effects, media-hyped, critically-acclaimed, paparazzi-beleaguered, once-a-year, over-the-top, over-the-limit, over-described... HOLIDAY LOVEFEST!

Wire to Wire -- I have no hard statistics, but I estimate that about 250 people went WIRE TO WIRE -- CONGRATULATIONS!!! Next year, we will try to have more of a prize! ;)

Cereal / Upside Down Cereal Shots -- I was TOTALLY PSYCHED at HOW MUCH CEREAL people brought to the event. I would also say that the UPSIDE DOWN CEREAL SHOTS were the BEST NEW TBOX TRADITION -- thanks to everyone who did one!!

Numbers -- thanks for reppin' your numbers so well! For the record, #1 was LA Michelle, #2 Mr. Jeff Davis, #3 Fred, #4 Sean from FLA, #5 Mish, #6 Fuji, #7 Goze, #9 Bill, #10 Seattle Greg, and I was #34. The greatest drop in the charts was LIONEL, last year's #1, who I ran into around 10pm and he somehow had #1492!!!! I was like "Nice number there, Columbus!!!"

Costumes -- Thanks to all who dressed so festively! Especially to the 2 dozen or so guys who dressed in Santa Suits -- totally cool! Also THANK YOU I don't think I saw ONE SINGLE Notre Dame shirt or jacket the entire day!! how nice!

Fingers -- great job with holding up fingers! it really helped ID what bar each photo took place in.

TO THE ROOKIES, PUB CRAWL Virgins, and The Class of '02 -- you guys did VERY WELL!!! I was proud of you all!

The Engagement -- we had our first mid-crawl engagement as Mr. Jeff Davis proposed to his wife-to-be Patty at Bar 7 of TBOX7 outside the Nisei Lounge -- WOW! congratulations!!!

"So much has been said and written about TBOX - and the story is so mythic in its sweep - that it's difficult to
summarize its essence without restating cliches that have already been digested by thousands of TBOX fans... "
-- John Tesh, Entertainment Tonight

You receive a lovely laminated TBOX7 official badge. Drink specials at each bar, pay-as-you-go. Although we want you to go WIRE TO WIRE, you are welcome to drop in or out at any time. PLEASE do not drink to excess, nor feel pressure to do so. It's a long day, and you are strongly urged to pace yourself and have a good time.
WHY DO I HAVE TBOX? a) to meet new friends; b) to spend time with old friends; c) for the aesthetic excitement and beauty of it; d) it captures the essence of Chicago; e) i don't want 1000 people in my house!!!

SUGGESTIONS, GUIDELINES, TERMINOLOGY, RULES, and NO-NO's................
TBOX -- and the other bar crawls I've hosted -- have developed a series of traditions we strongly urge you to adhere to in order to be part of the fun. I'll be glad to explain any more fully, but in all likelihood, the answer is: IT'S A LONG STORY!!! -- and that's how this web site got its name.

TRADITION #1 -- GOING "WIRE TO WIRE" -- this term is borrowed from horse racing, when the winner leads from beginning to end. In TBOX terms, it means starting @ Bar #1, and ending @ Bar #12, and going to all in-between. A badge of honor. All WIRE-TO-WIRE folks will receive special recognition. If you arrive at say Bar #2 or #3, no matter how much you beg and plead, you can't go wire to wire!

TRADITION #2 -- BRING CEREAL -- since the mid-80s, breakfast cereal has been intertwined with all my parties. The question isn't "Why do I do it?" the answer is, we're starting a trend for others to follow. Just like you'd take trail mix on a long hike, you should take CEREAL ON THIS PUB CRAWL and SHARE IT WITH YOUR CRAWL-MATES and THROW IT ALL OVER THE PLACE. Trust me, it will help you make new friends and keep your belly full. I'm talking the entire Cap'n Crunch family, Lucky Charms, Trix, Oreo O's, Count Chocula, etc -- anything SWEET and CRUNCHY. No grape nuts (which can put an eye out) or anything remotely healthy. if this is your first time, JUST DO IT and I'll explain later!! BRING CEREAL.

TRADITION #3 -- NUMBERING -- The last few years, I personally drew sequential numbers on everyone's hands to count the guests -- needless to say, it grew unwieldy. However, this year, each BADGE will be numbered. Be proud of your number. Show off your number. Single and Double Digit numbers are reserved for VIP's, Old-School Veterans, and early arrivers, but all numbers are special.
TRADITION #4 -- REPRESENT!! -- This is a relatively new tradition -- I'd like to encourage everyone to represent, baby! Show your holiday spirit or rep the group you're affiliated with. Wear garland, tinsel, Christmas lights, antlers, santa hats, something fun! be original. wear your favorite team's or school's apparel (except for note below) -- whatever! Be fun and Be FESTIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!
TRADITION #5 -- TAKE PICTURES, HOLD UP FINGERS, BRING SIGNS -- Celebrate whatever # bar you're at -- hold up that many fingers for pix you take at that bar -- bring signs that say "TBOX7, BAR #7" etc -- I'll be posting all the pix I take and that anyone sends me after the crawl.

TBOX7 NO-NO's: the following activities will not be tolerated on TBOX7 -- please read carefully:

- ABSOLUTELY NO NOTRE DAME APPAREL will be allowed on the crawl. If you are wearing any, you will be asked to go home and change -- non-negotiable.

- NO DISCUSSION OF FANTASY FOOTBALL -- nobody gives a rat's if you would've won your league if Priest Holmes had gotten 5 more yards against the Seahawks blah blah blah blah. This is party time -- keep discussions focused accordingly!!
- DON'T SAY YOU'RE GOING TO BE THERE WITH BELLS ON AND THEN NOT ACTUALLY HAVE BELLS ON!!! -- alot of you claim you'll be there with bells on -- then i see you, and NO BELLS! well, you better ring up or shut up! if i don't hear you jingling, you will be publicly shamed -- so, i encourage you -- wear bells!!!

- DON'T COMPLAIN ABOUT HOW CROWDED IT IS -- if you are claustrophobic or don't like crowds, this may not be the event for you! Feel free to skip ahead to the next bar if you need to. Or catch happy hour @ TGI Friday's in Naperville...
- DON'T PEAK EARLY -- 12 Bars X 1 Beer each = reasonable; 12 Bars X 2 Beers each = reasonable only if you are like, Kid Rock or Charlie Sheen; 12 Bars X 3 or 4 Beers each = early bedtime. Drink water, eat your cereal, have a big breakfast

Some Movies Made About TBOX

IMPORTANT, IMPORTANT, IMPORTANT -- BRING YOUR OWN LANYARDS!!!!!!!!!!!!
as mentioned, we will be providing laminated TBOX7 badges to be worn around your neck. we were able to find a very kind sponsor to provide the laminates, but not the THINGS THAT GO AROUND YOUR NECK (lanyards). If you have one or more lying around -- like from a convention or seminar you attended -- PLEASE BRING IT! Otherwise, we will have string for you to tie the thing around your neck with. You'll receive the badge once you pay the $5 or more.
40 BURNING QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED AT TBOX7
You never know how the TBOX is gonna go down until it really happens. Here are 40 of the most "Burning Questions" to be answered the day of the event...
Will we be stalked by papparazzi? And will Goze punch out a photographer and smash his camera like he did at Bill's wedding in Iowa?
Will the highly-touted Class of '02 rookies live up to their premier billing?? Who will be "Rookie of the Year?"
Will Tony Y. make good on his vow to "take a bullet for me" if there is an assassination attempt on me?
Can I help it if I think you're funny when you're mad?
Will Steve K., once he reaches the Nisei lounge, be trapped by its gravitational force and be unable to move on?
Will Dusty Baker show up? Does he realize that as Cubs manager, he'll need to do a lot of drinking, and might as well get an early start at TBOX7?
Will the Lincoln Park Trixies at John Barleycorn turn their noses up at us?
Who'll bring the best cereal? Will anyone embarrass themselves by bringing the generic Jewel brand of Capn Crunch? WHO WILL DO THE MOST UPSIDE-DOWN CEREAL SHOTS??
Will we make it into the Red Eye? The Red Streak? CLTV? WGN? Al-Jazeera?
Will anyone pictures be taken WITHOUT the ubiquitous Mr. Jeff Davis?
Which of the "Veterans on the Hot Seat" will atone for their sins of the past?
Which of the married suburban guys will get a "Hall Pass"?
Which ones won't, but will still come, and will end up sleeping on the couch?
Who in the world are these mysterious BELLE-AIRE.COM GIRLS who are coming en masse???
Will they want to film a Girls Gone Wild episode from this event?
How many times will my lily-livered Florida and California friends complain about the cold weather?
At what exact time will Fuji officially become "glassy-eyed"
Do you like a "good beer buzz, early in the morning"?
Will Jill hold court?
Who will be the best and worst dressed crawlers?
Will Sophia bring enough Spanakopita and Baklava for everyone?
What's in YOUR wallet?
Why do they talk so fast on the West Wing?
Will anyone mistake Einstein Bagels for Bar #4 and OD on cream cheese?
How do they get those model ships into those bottles?
Who will get the coveted "Single Digits"?
Will anyone paint their face with the TBOX logo like Putty?
Will Tom E. wear his shirt that says "I am the man from Nantucket"?
Will 5 guys show up shirtless with T-B-O-X-7 painted on their chests?
Does it really "take two to make a thing go right"? To make it "out of sight"?
Will Pam wear her "dominatrix" outfit?
How much will this event be adding to the GNP? Will it lift us out of the recession?
Who will meet their future spouses in this crawl?
Who will think that by bar 10 or so, everyone seems like a potentially good future spouse?
Who will make it wire-to-wire? Who will show up at Bar #1, go home and sleep all day, then come to Bar #12, and claim they went wire-to-wire?
And will we look back and say, "Didn't we almost have it all"?

And now that you've made it through all this, at last, here is the Schedule..


Stop #	Establishment Name	Timeframe	Beer Specials / Celebrity Guest Hosts / Comments
1	Sheffield's	1:00-2:15	To get this party started, a song we will hopefully hear at no point this entire day, it will be $1 off of their spectacular selection of microbrew pints -- meaning all the normally $4 pints will be $3; the $3 rolling rock pints will be $2; all well drinks are $3; yeah, baby!!!! YOUR CELEBRITY GUEST HOSTS: My co-workers: Kate P, Kate K, Renee, Dagmar, Adam, and Amy O -- THANKS!!!
2	Redmond's	2:15-3:15	"Recession Fighter Special" -- $2 Sam Adams or Bud Light Pints / and for those with a discerning palate, $3 Microbrew Pints! YOUR CELEBRITY GUEST HOSTS: Superstar MISH and her all-world entourage, including Angela, Jenny, Melissa, and the gang
3	Johnny O'Hagan's	3:00-4:00	$2 Lite Pints, $3 Stellas, $3 "Leprechaun Juice" shots (don't even ask) -- you only get the Stella special if you stand on the bar and scream at the top of your lungs, "STELLA!!!!!! STELLA!!!!!!" YOUR CELEBRITY GUEST HOSTS: Class of '02 Rookies Sophia & Pam; the ubiquitous Mr. Jeff Davis; Patty, and Jayhawk Dana.
4	Blarney Stone	3:45-4:45	$1 Drafts of Lite & Bud Lite (what a deal!), $1 Kamikazes & Watermelon Shots -- they say if you kiss the Blarney Stone you will have the gift of gab; here, tetanus is more likely, so save the smoochin' YOUR CELEBRITY GUEST HOSTS: THE ELLIS FAMILY AND THE YANIZ FAMILY
sunset		4:20pm	*just thought i'd throw that in there...*
5	Irish Oak	4:30-5:15	$2 Miller Lite Draft Pints or Bottles, $3 Stellas --- this will be like those college kids in the 60s trying to cram everybody into a phone booth or a VW beetle, but try to make it in if you can! they are super-nice people! say hi to Clodagh the manager YOUR CELEBRITY GUEST HOSTS: TBD
6	Fiesta Cantina	5:00-6:00	$2 Domestic Draft Beers // $3 Margaritas // But they're not dropping the "i" from their 1st name :( YOUR CELEBRITY GUEST HOSTS: FIVE-MINUTE FREDDY AND HIS TRAVELING FREAKSHOW!!
7	Nisei Lounge	6:00-6:45	$2 Labatt Blue Drafts / $3 Sierra Nevada & Goose Islands -- note: the trivial pursuit contest has been cancelled, so it's OK to show up early!! YOUR CELEBRITY GUEST HOSTS: MICHELLE H REPPIN' PHILLY, MAUREEN, DAVE, SHARON, AND CAROLE
8	Hi-Tops	6:30-7:45	$5 Domestic PITCHERS -- (so don't ask for Pedro Martinez or Chan Ho Park, I suppose) / $2 Domestic Beer Bottles / Dancing on the bar / and the complete loss of dignity associated with any trip to Hi-Tops!!!
9	John Barleycorn	7:30-8:15	ANY DRINKS for $3 (just for fun, try to push it by asking for a pina colada or a "flaming rum punch" or something...) Barleycorn is usually hangout for the 'beautiful people' but man, is it gonna get ugly in there for this 45 minutes :O
10	Goose Island	8:00-9:15	HOMEBREW BABY!!! Our friend Sandra is providing us with $3 Pints of our favorite LOCAL HOMETOWN BEER, GOOSE ISLAND BABY -- any flavor, including the popular HONKERS, $3/pint. Well drinks also $3.
11	Mullen's	9:00-10:30	Lotsa Lotsa Goodies, thanks to our host Maryn: $1 Domestic Drafts / $3 Pints of Guinness / $2 Shots: "Shark Bites" / 20-Cent Wings / plus full food menu being served -- please complement them on the incredible job they've done varnishing the place -- you will be literally surrounded by wood!
12	Slugger's	10:30-2:00	LOOKS LIKE WE MADE IT!!!!!!!!!!! Finale Party!!! $2 Domestic Pints all night, $3 Well Drinks, DJ Dance Music, all night long!!

*** A Note on Christmas & Holiday Celebrations: I want to acknowledge that I intend no disrespect to the sanctity of the Christmas holiday through this party, and want to apologize in advance if it is perceived as such by any. To those of the Christian faith, of which I am one, I express my warmest wishes for you to enjoy and appreciate the true reason for the season, and to those of other faiths, I invite you to join TBOX as a celebration of goodwill. (I have intentionally chosen to use the shortened "Xmas" rather than "Christmas" as a matter of expediency, not political correctness.) Also, I want to triple-reiterate that I do not encourage or endorse heavy drinking or any other type of wanton hedonism -- just good, clean, midwestern fun!!!! Merry Christmas and Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CLICK HERE TO GO TO PHOTO ALBUM!!!

CLICK ON ANY OF THESE SMALL PIX TO SEE THE FULL-SIZED PICTURE!