SmartTeen: First off, let me say that based on your post, I am sure that your username is an apt description of your true nature and personality. Your perspective on davening is not uncommon, and is, in my humble opinion, quite reasonable.
As to your first question. Thank you for bringing it up! I think that many people have similar problems with the idea of davening, and quite simply the typical response that “Hashem hears our prayers no matter what and they always do something” (I Love Coffeee) just doesn’t cut it.
It may help you to look at davening from another perspective. Instead of thinking that when you daven you are “praising Hashem” and begging for your wants and needs, think of davening as an opportunity for self introspection. R. Samson Raphael Hirsch translates “hispallel” as self judgement. We daven three times a day to measure our daily conduct against the backdrop set by teffillah. In the morning we daven and try to set the tone for our actions throughout the day. Say Shema and think, “what do I need to do throughout the day and how do I need to act in every situation in which I find myself so as to live up to the ideal of “v’ahavta es Hashem . . . ” When davening shemona esrei consider what it means to live with the zechus of the avos, and what kind of conduct such a zechus demands of us. Consider how you must use your mind, care for your health, relate to tzaddikim and reshaim (choenen hadaad, rifaeinu, v’lamalshinim, uv’chein tzadikim”) during your daily life.
We do the same in the middle of the day at mincha to evaluate how well we are living this ideal throughout the day, and to inspire ourselves to do better for the remainder of the day. At maariv we take stock of the whole day and gird ourselves to begin again tomorrow.
Ultimately, davening becomes about you. It a an opportunity to think about yourself – meditate if you will – about how well your daily conduct is living up to the Torah ideal.
If you would like more info about this approach to teffila, see the Collected Writings of R. Samson Rapahael Hirsch, Vol. 2, pp. 53-63; Vol. 3, pp. 235-260.