Haha, when you started talking about search bars and interrupting your typing, I got a bit confused, lol.
I'm thinking about making an [X] button on the bar to close it if it annoys you, and save a cookie so it won't come back on your computer, but I just haven't had a chance yet.
It should help our rankings over time, as it connects many sites together to share traffic. It's not too bad is it? lol