Y'know...

If there is one thing I've learned over this time it's patience. I first started with 3 little sprouts in little clay pots. Those three went to five as two more littl'uns made their appearance in one of the pots ( I put three seeds to a pot to start). Those five went well until one of them decided to kick it. I then had four. I put my little ones in a foil lined closet about 4 1/2 by 2 foot. I kept trying new flouros and more ways to keep light in (I was losing a lot of lumens when I started, but live and learn, right?). My little sprouts were discovered one day by my cat who promptly decided to do an early taste test of my young veg'ers. The cat walked away having learned a vital lesson from the business end of a broom (don't worry, it still loves me ) ). My ranks earned a casualty and 2 wounded.
Well after many days of nursing the two wounded made spectacular recovery. One of which is a rather tall ( 14"-16"), but somewhat spindly plant at the moment. So be it. It'll fill out in good time I tell myself.
I then decide to do some reasearch (yes, at this late in the game I do the research. Serves me right I guess. ). I learn about wattage and soil pH and ferts. I discover all the ways I SHOULD'VE done things from the start. Well, all this gets a fire under my butt and I decide to build a Kmart Special grow box with things I can find around the house (and a few well-planned trips to Menards). I gotta do it MacGuyver style as we are pretty well "Po' Folk" , but it tunrs out quite nice. During this time I decide to top the rest of my plants. Well actually I only topped 2 of the remaining 3. Just in case I tell myself. "Mr. Tall Spindle" escaped the "brutality" of the topping. Well, I tried to use the "FIM" method and let me tell you: If I am to base future performance on this topping venture, I should NEVER EVER become a brain surgeon. For that matter, I'm not sure if "third-rate butcher" is even in my range .
One of the plants has done well despite my sloppy FIMming. It didn't grow any extra branches, but it is still alive and currently being put through the rigors of flowering (about a week and a half in - no clue on sex tho' so far). Due to this I call it a success. However, my other FIM plant sprouted out with 3 new tops. Then it stopped growing. Completely. As of today my brothers and sisters in Growland, 3-top passed away. Call it post-FIM depression, call it inferiority complex, call it what you will. I call it Compost.
Well, that leaves me down to 2 of the original 5. One in flowering one soon to be. But all is not lost my friends. I have 2 babies doing quite well and keeping my other 2 company ). They arrived within 2 days of being put into the little "peat marshmallows" and are quite cute, but still workin' on the cuddly . I think I'll name them Ed and Joan after the 2 snitch neighbors that told my father I took his Mitsubishi 3000GT out for a "spin" while he was out of town. Yeah, that's what I'll do. (But let's hope Ed turns out to be an Edna, eh?)
Now, after you've read all that, we can now figure the "wait index factor" (if meteorologists can have a "wind chill factor" or a "Heat index" measuring what outside REALLY feels like regardless of the real temperature, then I can have a wait index factor measuring how long I feel like this is taking.) Here we go:

Multiply the number of plants by the number that have died of my originals. Now subtract nothing and multiply by 1 Gazillion. And you will have my Wait Index Factor.

Sure I may have only been waitng about 2 months or so, but I'll be funktified if it doesn't feel like MUCH MUCH longer!

So until the glorious day when I can reap the harvest of my hard work and sacrifice, I will keep learning the boundless limits of Patience.

Ahhh, Patience. What a cruel mistress.

Friend to all,

Farside12

 

I suppose it's better than me asking a question I am sure everyone here has answered a million times before.

..And yeah, it DID feel good getting that off my chest.