What's an integer?

About this same time last year, I thought that I would begin studying for the GRE. I was 30 1/2 and in a space of fear. Doubt. 30. And a 1/2. What did I hope to be doing in 5 years? Still working retail and auditioning for nonpaying theatre? Living in my 525 sq. ft. studio apartment? Hey, I know that in some worlds, 525 square feet is a lot, and compared to the other studios that I've lived in, it is palatial. I love it, feel privileged to get to live in such luxury. I have a kitchen and dining area that are separate from the main room, even a little hallway and an enormous closet! I could fit a bed in there and have a one bedroom, except that it's a bit claustrophobic what with no windows and my dresser, and the clothes that have to hang and the jackets and coats and shoes and sewing machine and general mayhem that is my closet due to my inability to just put away the clothes, shoes, jackets and coats when I'm done with them. It's a big one. But I do not want to be living in this ginormous studio apartment when I am 35 years old. Nor do I want to count on living with someone, the person that I am in love with, because maybe I like living by myself. And besides, that is not the point. In order to know that I am self-sufficient, I must know that I can make my own way in the world, if need be. Sure, it's a bonus to have someone to share all of that responsibility with--the rent, the bills, the cleaning and perhaps even the cooking--but I am not in a place in my life where I feel like I can or even want to count on that. (Are new paragraphs not allowed in blogger land? I keep trying to use the "enter" key and nothing happens. I get no "enter" movement. Just the cursor blinking at me from the same place where it last stopped. Uninterested in my desires for it to move to the next line. Am I missing something? Or perhaps I have a malfunctioning keyboard...terrific.) I digress, the GRE. I began studying for the GRE without truly knowing what I would do once I took it. I bought a prep book, checked out more GRE-prep books from the library and even downloaded a free program from some GRE study site that lets you take several practice tests on line. And since the entire test is now done on computers, it sounded like it would be good to do a few of those. I graduated from college in 1996. The last math class that I took was in 1994, I'm pretty sure. Math 114. Previously, the easiest way to get your math credit was to take this other math class, some kind of sadistic algebra class whose sole purpose was to make all of those liberal arts and arts majors have to retake it a couple of times to get a passing grade. I was petrified of this class. In my freshman year of college I can count at least 5 friends who had to retake that class. And maybe 5 isn't a lot, except that I wouldn't say that I knew that many people, so on average...it was enough to put the fear of never graduating in me. And then, a miracle occurred. MAT 114, an overview of math; a dollop of statistics, a dash of averages and a sprinkling of algebra. phew! Thank goodness I'd put off taking that full on nothing but algebra class. I continue to digress. The point of this babble babbling is that in order to take the GRE one must perform what are termed "basic math skills". (I don't really know if that's what they're called. That's what I infer from the description of said skills.) I cannot perform a single, not ONE of those so called skills. I recall nothing. I bought a book that is supposed to help people who are going to take the SAT or GRE review all of those components that go into the basic math that you're tested on. I got through ratios, decimal points and fractions. Twice. Last year. These books haven't moved since Christmas. I actually dust these books--they get dusty--and I can't even look at them when I do. I look out the window instead, because out there is away from that pile of recognition of my own guilt at not even really giving the whole "teach myself math all over again" thing a good college try. Obviously this GRE thing has been on my mind, lately, or I wouldn't be writing about it. So, yes. Okay. I want to give it another go.