Well... another day has passed, and I still haven't used algebra.

Are you wanting to??
I have a couple of

If a train leaves San Francisco at 80 mph..

Kind of questions if you want

I've come to a serious conclusion. It's just about being able to remember any formula to solve problems. Sadly my ADD does not allow my neurons to connect or memeorize these formulas. mAYBE I do have an addition memorization issue.

We use algebra subconsciously but significantly. Algebra give us a greater facility for abstracting, so that we're more able to express some of life's "story problems" into simpler, more-easily-handled forms. No one ever says "hey, let's use algebra on this," but that's what our minds do--especially ones who've endured the rigors of algebra class.