Thanks Lolagrace and Atisketa-
Seems we pretty much all agree that formal qualifications are about the least relevant factor!
Apologies for my ignorance but I don't actually know what most of those acronyms stand for (other than PHD...)

I can certainly see how an undercurrent of rivalry would spoil the entire process. Also seems this is something she SHOULD have been aware of and thus changed the tone?

By touchstones I mean more or less the same thing - though also she is from a different culture/ethnic group to my own as well (which might be a good thing). I think she is very widely aware but I don't think she shares many of my own interests - unless she is just expert at keeping any details about herself to herself. I think she would get a general reference to Hamlet but doubt she would engage on The Cloud of Unknowing.

Also difficult because obviously I miss my original T - especially the things I disliked the most like his frequent groan-worthy puns! I guess one needs much longer to suss out the oddities of any individual, but why does a dry sense of humor have to be so scarce?

ETA - I couldn't engage on The C of Unknowing either!