Been there, done that. The ribbon is a major pain for power users of earlier versions. The ribbon interface is supposedly easier for new users. If you think this is bad, be glad you didn't start with Word 2007!

If you are up to it, you can create an emulation of floating (non-dockable) toolbars using modeless UserForms. That involves programming though, which toolbars in the menu versions of Word did not require.