Miraculously, I eked out payroll last week. I've done this every week now for about three years. Pulling it off last week was no small thing, since the indicators in my checking account pointed to disaster by midweek.

I took a chance and issued the checks because I expected payment on some outstanding bills. Not only did the payments not arrive but negotiations on deals we thought were closing dragged on for yet another week, bringing me close to tears. The mail guy kept bringing the wrong type of mail. "Are you sure one didn't drop in the truck?" I asked. Time to hit the credit line again (that's what it's there for, right?) and pray that next week will bring relief — not the sheriff.

By now, I'm so used to this drill that it almost feels good. My very best friend, Bob the social worker, is right: I am an extreme masochist. "Georgie," he says, "why do you do this to yourself?"

November and December are always weird months for businesses because of all the holidays, but the next few months should be more interesting than usual. With Y2K coming, I figure every businessperson will start hiding by mid-December and not surface till mid-January. Businesses are thoroughly spooked. A technical writer recently told me that a large company hired someone he knows to babysit "the system" for $1,000 per hour from Dec. 15 through the first week in January.

Y2K hasn't been a big issue for us. The few critical programs we use have been compliant for a while now, and all of our computers are under a year old. I have my own computer issues without Y2K.

In fact, one of the few good things that happened last week was that I finally licked a computer problem after at least 200 hours of work. It turned out to be a bad network card. To think that I could have saved 200 hours just by installing a new card — a 10-minute task.

The people who share office space with my company actually cheered when I announced I had fixed the problem. They were sick of seeing me in that chair night after night and Saturday after Saturday muttering Greek epithets. I actually hired consultants to fix the thing, and even they couldn't figure it out. They did make a profit on their failed attempt, though, while I ended up 200 hours in the hole.

I can't believe it's November already. I haven't thought about holiday gifts for my clients (a must) or replied to holiday invitations (a nuisance). Most important, I haven't started planning our annual family get-together for my son's birthday (this year, he turns 21). I don't even want to think about holiday shopping or the annual hunt for the holiday trimmings in the attic.

All I want to do is run my business. We're installing a shower in the office right next to the crash room. Maybe I'll spend the New Millennium's Eve on the office couch, toasting yet another grueling but thoroughly gratifying year. Bob is right. I am a masochist.

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.