I understand the reason for the decline, but it raises a few important points.  Namely, concerning the bit about requiring the original blocking admin's approval.  To the best of my observation, that particular admin has not been active on Wikipedia for over a year.  Could the removal of my block be possible without his/her approval, considering the apparent fact that they no longer contribute to the project?
Secondly, the majority of the articles I've read and have encountered issues with need nothing more than simple corrections in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.  I could scour the list of articles needing improvement, but in truth, the majority of the edits I intend to make, if unblocked, would be stylistic ones, rather than control of content.  Surely, not every contributor to Wikipedia is expected to make substantial, referenced additions to articles.  There are some, like myself, who would prefer to be useful in simply maintaining a degree of acceptable English.