All great ideas. But I think you'll still need to be flexible during a trip even if you think you found the right tripping partner.

Find Mountain Paddlers' trip report and read it carefully. It's a great example of adjusting expectations and making the most of a trip. There's no right or wrong way, but there are many different ways/styles. You might even enjoy another style then you've been doing.

Of course you could always bring a newbie and introduce him/her to canoe tripping.