You've given up - haven't you! You've gone all "disheartened"
Listen here ... just because you had all that anticipation and then disappointment with the sourdough starter doesn't give you a viable excuse to shrug and walk away. You are in exactly the same point as I have been.
Think of the poolish/biga as being the cheats sourdough. But as it happens ... I really prefer it. You can develop flavour and character and it always works. And you don't need baby sitters when you go away. Ignore the extremists and listen to your dough buddy.
No excuses. I want to see a loaf of bread made and posted in the next 5 days or you're in detention every night for the coming week and they'll also be no television or Gameboy or tweeting of facebook. And I'll take your mobile phone away.
Come on ... no excuses. Man up! Don't be a Pillsbury. Once you get your first good loaf and realise how easy it all is you'll not be going back.
Oh, I haven't given up! I was going to make a poolish on Saturday and bread on Sunday. But I think I will wait to make my next sourdough starter until I move to Maine in the next few months. I figure there will be more and better yeast floating around at sea level by the pristine Maine coast than there will be 22 floors up in Queens.
On the other hand, maybe I'll just try again in a week or two...and the crackers are really good.