We might have started about the same time. I'm on Day 18. I have a 10 gallon tank. Here's my log so far.
Day 0: (added 2 tsp Aquasafe for 10 gallons tap water)
Day 1: (added ~1Tbs ACE ammonia part# 10183) (started with test strips)
4ppm ammonia, nitrate 20, nitrite 0, hardness 150, alkalinity 180ish, pH 8.4
Day 2: 3ppm ammonia?, nitrate 20, nitrite 0, hardness 75ish, alkalinity 180, pH 8.4
Day 3: added pinch of (real old) fish food
Day 4: 6ppm ammonia, 8.4 pH, 180ppm alkalinity, hardness 75ish, nitrite 0, nitrate 20ppm
Day 6: 6ppm ammonia, 8.4 pH, 180ppm KH, 75 GH, 0 nitrite, 20ppm nitrate
Day 11: 6ppm ammonia, 8.4 pH, 180ppm KH, 150ppm GH, 0 nitrite, 20ppm nitrate
Day 14: (checked colors in daylight) (new API ammonia test)
>8ppm ammonia, 7.8pH, 120KH, 150GH, <20 nitrate, 0 nitrite
(tried to bring the ammonia down with two 50% pwc)
4ppm ammonia, 80KH, 7.2pH, 150GH, ~20 nitrate, 0 nitrite
Day 15: 8ppm ammonia
(50% pwc, not sure why the ammonia is still high, starting to wonder what the hell I got from Ace Hardware, maybe it was the fish food?)
4ppm ammonia, 7.2pH, 40KH, 150GH, 0 nitrite, <20 nitrate
Day 17: 4ppm ammonia
(added MingDak 19" LED light, and Xinyou xy-2831 bio-sponge filter)
Day 18: 4ppm ammonia
Temperature in my apartment is always a steady 78deg F. I always treat the new tap water with Aquasafe. I have a Top Fin 10 filter on the back with the carbon bits emptied out of the filter. I'm hoping to use just the sponge filter at some point; I don't like the buzz the Top Fin motor makes. The cheap air pump I got from WalMart is quieter and the bubbles sound nice.
I read a post here somewhere from someone who said their cycle took 57(??) days. I just play with the tank. The new light is nice. Lots of time to read about fish!