It’s discouraging to hear your frustration… great to hear you’re not giving up on OTA.
How many channels do you anticipate receiving? It appears directional.
While many say “It’s not that hard” …well that mean different things to different people. In your experience, location, location, location makes a difference. Then there’s how to get the cable to where you want it - and how you want it to look when you’re done 
Everyone has different talents and skills - hope in the end things work out for you, as the hype goes due to government mandates you can get crystal clear free over-the-air HDTV