I really appreciate your tips on handling .docx from others. Highly formatted
docs don't always translate well in OpenOffice, Abiword or LibreOffice as you
said, so I'll be trying Calligra and hoping for the best.

One sure way to view and edit .docx is with a free Microsoft Skydrive account.
It includes access to a limited but adequate online version of MS Word (plus
Excel and OneNote) that has always correctly shown .docx docs from others for
me. Maybe you're not Microsoft fans, as I am not particularly, but I've spent
enough money on Windows and Office over the years that I don't feel bad taking
advantage of their free stuff while using Linux, even understanding that in the
big picture it's marketing.