traveling woes

When you travel, how does birth control pills work?  I have been taking mine at 9 pm since I was 18, and for the most part, I am really good about taking it within 30 minutes of that time.  But this past trip, when I traveled for extended period of time, in another time zone, I didn't know if I was supposed to take it at 6 pm or at 9 pm their time?  6pm would have been too early since I was still in meetings or indulging in happy hour and 9 pm most of the time I was just getting around to eating dinner!  Granted I wasn't having sex...so I wasn't worried about the pregnancy issue, just the cramping issue really and being on a body 'schedule'.  What do you do?

I generally like the window seat of the plane because I love to look out and see the land. 

• This past trip I did have a window seat on a super small plane (the kind that are 2 seats on each side and you have plane side baggage - not the smallest plane I've been on...but it was small) and the man next to me was very large...large as in he needed a seat belt extension.  I didn't know they made those - did you?  It made my flight really uncomfortable because we didn't have the arm rest separating us and I was as close to the window as possible so we didn't touch.
• I also had a few middle seats, since all but one of my flights had layovers.  Not ideal but for the most part it wasn't that bad, until my plane ride home when I didn't want to wake up the isle person so I can puke in the bathroom.  If I was in the window seat, that meant waking up two people...even worse!  

• Before we took off I was nauseous and she ate a disgusting smelling muffin that made me want to be sick all over her.  I felt gross but knew I couldn't get up since we were taxing forever and I was stuck there so I held my nose and attempted to fall asleep before take off.  I was proud of myself for not puking on the plane and willing myself to keep holding off. I refused to drink more than a few sips of water since I puked that all up on the side of the road on the way to the airport after puking in the bathroom leaving the hotel. 
• Moral of the story?     7 glasses of wine + 1 shotgun + 2.5 hours sleep - (very light lunch & no dinner) + 4.5 hour flight = a REALLY bad experience  
• Are the puke bags supposed to be used when you are sitting in your seat and you can't get up because the seat belt light is on?  Or are you supposed to also take them into the bathroom and puke in that there?
• When my boarding pass prints out with a note telling me one of my flights was changed - essentially another airline would be operating the flight, and I am given a gate number and a seat assignment...I assume when I get to the gate there wouldn't be a problem...but no...my boarding pass won't scan.  I am holding up the line the agent being questioned about my destination.  The 'long' way but the agent finds me and lets me in.  I think I am safe, but just steps ahead in another agent double checking!  She saw me talking to the first agent but wouldn't let me pass.  I have to go back to the first one - who stops checking in people to re-attend to me.  Now my fellow travel mates look at me suspiciously...Who am I? Am I going to hurt them? Am I a terrorist? I hear mumbles.  Finally the agent decides to reprint my boarding pass and then I get on with out a problem.  I was very happy when we arrived at our destination safely...otherwise I would have been blamed!
• One of the straps on my carry on bag broke so lifting my bag into or out of the overhead rack, or to move it in general was difficult. 
• When you travel alone and go to the pool...what do you do with your 'things' like an ipod, room card, cash, etc.  It makes it a little hard to either fall asleep or use the pool not sure if your things will be there when you get back.