OK, here's another hint. Forget the workspace. Just because the model sends the variable info "to workspace" doesn't mean it is visible to everything in the model. Also, a variable defined in the workspace is not automatically available to the model. It is only available to the workspace and the command line.
Any block you create can have an output variable defined for it, assuming it has an output. Look at masking a block to see how this is done.
I am not making fun of your skills, I am saying you are looking too hard at the trees and not seeing the forest.
By the way, what version of Matlab are you using. If it is older than 6.0, then I can understand some of your confusion. It was poorly explained in the earlier versions.
I have spent 6 years learning Matlab, and feel I only know about 25% of it capability. It is something you must use constantly and keep trying new things, or you will never get proficient in it.
I hope this helps. Keep working at it and you will succeed.