Sorry I don't have a good answer to that, I too have an extremely difficult time using the search feature.
It also searches through the Fun and Games thread, which takes up more time to sift through. Even the advanced search does not alleviate the problem.

I use a different method, when I know that a person has posted to a specific thread or topic I am looking for. I go to that person's profile and look up thier post history. So much easier and faster to find than using the search option.
I can pretty much figure out the date of the posts, and work my way through the pages.

But I would be curious to know how the search feature can be used a bit more efficiently.