 The Dead Outnumber the Living is a web based, free to play, choose your own adventure that I created about 5 years ago with the Twine tool. This zombie apocalypse experience contains over a thousand passages, with pathways splitting and converging at points, items you can collect and combine, dynamic ambient content, and even some light puzzles to solve.
The game is a mix between a “choose your own adventure” book and a classic text based video game, going beyond the typical choose your own adventure theme by providing a vast amount of pathways, dynamic content, story clues, and a few puzzles to solve.
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 Baby Luka joined the world on July 16th, 2020. Leading up to his birth we prepared. We read books and articles (especially my wife), we learned from our friends, and we got the house ready. Everyone tells you that no matter how much you prepare you have to learn on the job, especially because every baby is unique. This is absolutely the truth. Six weeks into our journey I am reflecting. This is my way to both remember this moment in time and guide others so that they can be just a little more (mentally) prepared. I won’t tell you about particular techniques like the 5 Ss or other principles and tactics. There’s plenty of well-documented materials on these subjects already out there. And while I will argue that no amount of books will fully prepare you I do encourage you to read up so that you have a base level understanding. I personally found the courses and books to be informative. The stuff they say you need and the stuff you later discover There’s so much stuff that people say you need and we did extensive research prior to our birth date so that we could have the house armed and ready for the little terrorist. We were lucky to receive a ton of hand-me-downs and gifts, and our friends and family helped us understand how all the various tools work. First, here are all of the items we had ready before the baby arrived:
  When it comes to free stuff, besides hand-me-downs we also received a ton of goodies from the hospital. Make sure to bring an extra bag with you, kind of like what Michael Scott did on The Office when he went to on his business trip and brought an extra suit case just for souvenirs. Here’s some of the great stuff they hooked us up with, much of which you will want to get if you aren’t as lucky:
So we looked prepared, right? Well, there’s more stuff we later discovered we needed (or at least very much wanted). Here’s the list:
  The falsehood of sleeping when the baby sleeps
You’re going to receive a lot of advice that won’t always pan out. Take it all in and recognize that not everything will work in your favor. And likewise keep in mind that something that works one day won’t necessarily work the next. You’ll experiment in search of the holy grail just to discover that there is no perfect recipe. This isn’t a mystery to be solved. This is a marathon. This is about endurance. People will tell you to sleep when the baby sleeps. That this is your chance to make up for all those interrupted moments late at night. What they won’t tell you is that it’s not as simple as “baby sleeps, so I sleep”. In reality, babies grunt a lot when they sleep, so at night when you sleep near them, your quality of sleep will decrease. Plus, if you’re like me, that sound machine that soothes him will have the reverse effect on you. When it comes to you trying to nap during the day, even with two parents working full time to serve the tyrant king, you can’t expect to always be on break when he goes down because while you were spending all that time cleaning, feeding, changing, soothing, and agonizing over the baby, a multitude of chores have amassed. So you scramble. You clean all of the bottles, empty the diaper pail, toss in a load of the baby’s soiled laundry, scrub that spit up from the couch, and reset the pumping station. And that’s just the baby’s stuff. There’s plenty to still do for the house. Perhaps the house is in disarray and you accept this as a temporary state of turmoil. Even still, you need to empty the dish washer, get groceries, satisfy the grand parents with photos texted their way, feed yourself, use the bathroom, and, if you are lucky, try to squeeze in some exercise. All this is to say is that his down time does not 100% equate to your down time, so mentally prepare for this. And if you are like me and my wife, telling your brain to shut off for a nap, despite how utterly tired you may be, holds no guarantees. There’s another factor: the baby doesn’t always sleep on its own, particularly in these early months. The first 3 months of life are what are known as the 4th trimester where the baby is most at peace when you emulate womb like conditions. When it comes to sleep during the day, this may mean that he just wants to be held. Since it’s unsafe to sleep while the baby is attached to you this means you might as well use the time to get those previously mentioned chores done. Thankfully there is a cheap and effective device to make this a hands-free operation, and that’s the Boba Wrap. For us it works like magic, as it essentially mimics the womb which makes the baby king very pleased. Very pleased indeed. Feeding Frustrations I’ll keep this brief, as there’s just too much to say here and the journey isn’t over yet. Long story short, our baby is an inefficient eater. He takes far too long to get full, is a fussy eater, and the advice we received from various professionals would fall flat time and time again. We ended up having a tong-tie procedure performed that may or may not have helped a little. We received lactation consultation over the phone, email, and Zoom, due to COVID-19, and needless to say this is a service that can only go so far via virtual means. After hitting many dead ends we finally were able to find an in person LC, though we remain to see if their advice will reap any benefits. The good news is that our baby is growing. We just have to feed him longer and more frequently than one should, which is frustrating for both the parents and the baby. In closing… I’m sure I have more to say. I just can’t remember or think clearly any more. My brain is mush. Even now I write this as quickly as possible as the time-bomb ticks in his stroller that we were too scared to take him out of prematurely. Despite the complaints it is worth it. You will be frustrated and exhausted, and then out of nowhere he will surprise you with a smile that will melt away all of your anxiety. My top advice is to be patient. Be patient to your partner, to your baby, and to yourself. A wise man once said “Take care of yourself, and each other”. Good luck out there. A little while back I photoshopped this image of our dog Lola to look like a Dog World cover. Photography credit goes to Huy Doan.   I am very excited to announce that I am currently developing a web-based 'choose your own adventure', starring you as the hero and your loving companion: a dog. The story takes place in San Francisco, two weeks after a zombie outbreak has plagued the city, and you must escape the city and reach safety. Along the way you will pass through a variety of districts, come across other survivors, and battle hordes of zombies. What I am most excited about with project is that, unlike traditional 'choose your own adventure' stories, this adventure will be much more expansive (there's already 600+ passages) and will contain video game like elements such as items to collect and use, light puzzles to solve, some dynamic content, and an evolving story line. For this project I am collaborating with a few artists and photographers, and creating some of both myself. Namely I want to mention Peter Glanting, who is creating the bulk of the artwork thus far, and you can check out more of his artwork on his website. I find that the mixture of art and photography aesthetics by different artists creates a unique feel to this project, which is partially why I am going to continue to add art to the project after it is released, including work that can be submitted by the readers. There is currently no set release date.
Quick video I made of our Cavalier King Charles, Lola. Lola from danger force on Vimeo.  San Francisco has been my home for almost 7 years now, and while I love so much about this city, such as the amazing restaurants, views, architecture, coffee, and abundance of doggies, there are definitely some downsides that I experience regularly. Please accept the below list as a warning to anyone visiting or moving to our beautiful city.
Have you visited or live in San Francisco? Please share your tips and horror stories in the comments. |
AuthorBrian Riggsbee lives in San Francisco CA. He enjoys gaming, writing, creating art, practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, chasing adorable dogs, and spending time with his wife and boy. 
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