On patience:
My visual oberving experience is very limited, but about 5 years ago I was privileged to spend about 3 hours tracking Saturn across the sky with an 8" dob.
I spent most of the time with the 10mm eyepiece.
Around 4 or 5 times during those three hours the atmosphere seemed to magically "line up". Either the light was coming straight through, or the distortions were cancelling each other out. But each time, for what seemed like only a second or two each time, Saturn just clarified itself. Crisp it seemed. Cassini division visible. And then it was gone again.
I guess this is what "lucky imaging is about". Take one photo every second for 5 hours and keep 4 of them.
Mere mortals, clutching straws from the sky.