Here’s a quick hack to get rid of the search bar in the timeline holder.  Enter this code of CSS in the customize profile tab in your Profile Settings. To get there go to the upper left hand corner of your profile where it says “My Profile” and click on the Edit link,  than click on the Customize Profile tab.  Go to the bottom where it says “Customize Your Profile Even More with CSS” and paste the following code:

#mini_search form { opacity:0; filter:alpha(opacity=0);zoom=1
}

#mini_search form:hover { opacity:1; filter:alpha(opacity=100)
}

Enjoy!