It's a little after 10 a.m. on Monday, and already I feel like I'm strapping in for a guest ride on the space shuttle. I hate heights, too.

The day started out pretty promising, though the first two treadmills I tried at the gym weren't working. I guess I should have taken that as a sign: There are some days when no matter what you do, bad stuff keeps happening. If I could find a Furby, I'd smash it against the wall.

I've been on this entrepreneurial roller coaster now for close to four years, and I can honestly say that I'm getting accustomed to -- and even enjoy -- the rapid ups and downs. Yet, I always had this crazy notion that the ride would smooth out at some point. Well, it hasn't. But entrepreneurship does change you. Here's an inventory of what happens along the way to fame and riches. (Warning: If you're new to this game, you may not want to continue. It ain't pretty.)

You grow, and then you spend. My sales have quadrupled since I first launched my business, but my expenses have also gone up. Recently, my accountant yelled at me for making a profit. I said, "So let me get this straight, Fred. I'm supposed to work seven days a week, 15 hours a day and spend money like crazy so I can keep the business running -- without making a profit?" After a short pause, he said, "You got it."

You realize you can't do it alone. I spent all day last Monday trying to fix a cash-flow crisis, chasing down invoices and money owed the company with the zeal of a man on his last death-row appeal. Hey, I shouldn't be doing this stuff! I need a finance person, someone who can hover over the money like a mosquito on skin. And then there's the rest of the business. If you hire someone who's great in sales, expect to hire someone else to manage what's coming in and so on. All of a sudden there's a staff, and then you find yourself planning company parties and writing employee manuals. Good God, now you need a human resources department.

You become cheap. A funny thing happens on the way to the bank: If you drop a penny, expect to turn around and pick it up. I spotted four pennies on the gym floor the other day. After a brief inspection of my surroundings (I didn't want that guy Funt to pop out of the shower), I picked them up and stuffed them in my pocket like I'd just found a wad of cash. I was never like this. What's going on?

You're always working -- even when you're not. Period.

You lose big clients. The day you feared most finally arrives: The big enchilada account just disappears, much like mates to socks on laundry day. It happens when you least expect it and when you need the money most. It's the weirdest thing. One minute you're fat, the next you're asking for dimes on a street corner. You go home defeated and play the Righteous Brothers' Ebb Tide over and over again while sipping Thunderbird wine. But you survive and move on, much stronger for it -- though you do have to get over a powerful hangover.

I could continue, but I think you get the picture. Pass the wine, please. Hey, is that a dime on the floor?

George Giokas is the president and CEO of StaffWriters Plus, a specialty agency that places writers in temporary and permanent positions with corporate and other employers. It also provides editorial consulting work. His database includes 2,500 writers and editors specializing in more than 60 categories. His Web site is located at www.staffwriters.com, and you can E-mail him at george@staffwriters.com.