PS it is puzzling that you call yourself an abstract thinker yet your post lists concrete details at the level of precision that most people would not try to achieve (98 miles and not 100 miles, early sept...)

That unusual level of precision might explain why you do not feel spark anywhere lately - you are currently being too cerebral and not experiential enough. This is your issue, and the guy is just one concrete example of that issue but he does not seem to be contributing to it.