1. Any tips for actually using 2 monitors. I've currently got the (smaller) secondary monitor to the left of my main monitor, but it's proving annoying that when I go to click on the Start button, e.g., the mouse keeps going. Should I swap the monitors over and put the secondary display on the right, maybe?

Go download UltraMon. I don't think it addresses the "stickiness" issue you're looking for, but it does just about everything else you need in a multi-monitor setup.

As for how to set up your monitors, if you prefer it on the left, maybe raise it a little higher and move the "viewport" of that monitor (not sure what to call it when you move the "virtual position" of the monitors in display control panel) up a little bit. If you offset it enough, your mouse won't warp over to the secondary monitor unless it's farther up the left-hand side of the screen, solving your Start button problem (but not preventing you from warping over to the other monitor entirely.) I at one time had my secondary monitor on the left, but it's over on the right now.

Alternatively, you could move the taskbar itself, which could place the Start menu at the top left of the primary display, or even on the right side if you can stomach that kind of change.