Okay, so... it’s 2 AM, obviously. And I’m just staring at the ceiling, which isn't helping anything, really. The crickets outside are going absolutely bonkers, probably because it's gonna be another scorcher tomorrow, and all I can think about is this annual review cycle kicking off. Anyone else feel like this part of the year just sneaks up on you, even though you know it's coming, like, every single year? It's the one thing that actually makes me miss those long winters sometimes, when everything just... slows down. And the thing is, there’s this one staff member, let’s call them Pat. Pat’s been… well, Pat's been less than stellar. I mean, for months now. I probably should have said something way back when, like, last summer? Or maybe even before that. It started subtly, you know? A few missed deadlines, nothing huge, just a little slip here and there. And then it was like a slow downhill slide, picking up speed, and I just… stood there. Like watching a snowball roll down a hill, getting bigger and bigger, and now it’s basically an avalanche. And I'm the one who's supposed to stop it. Or, rather, I was supposed to stop it *before* it became an avalanche. I keep telling myself, "Oh, Pat’s got a lot on their plate." Or, "Maybe they’re just having a rough patch." And it’s true, life around here, in a small town like ours, everyone knows everyone else’s business, and I know Pat's got some stuff going on at home. Nothing scandalous, just… life. And I genuinely like Pat! They're a good person, usually helpful, always up for volunteering for the bake sale. Which makes this whole thing feel even worse. It’s like, how do you sit down with someone you genuinely like and tell them they’re basically… failing? It feels like betraying them, even though I know, logically, it's my job. It’s my JOB. Now these review forms are showing up in my inbox, bright and shiny, asking me to rate people and give examples and all that official-sounding stuff. And I’m looking at Pat’s name and just feeling this pit in my stomach. I keep replaying all the times I could’ve, should’ve, but didn’t. The emails I drafted but never sent. The casual "check-in" conversations I planned but always found an excuse to postpone. "Oh, busy day today." Or, "Next week will be better." And now it’s here, next week is NOW, and it’s going to be AWFUL. Is it worse to have that difficult conversation months ago, or to have it now, when it’s basically a performance improvement plan waiting to happen? Am I the only one who lets things fester like this? I just keep thinking, this is probably going to be one of those things I look back on when I'm really old, you know, and just think, "Why didn't you just DO IT, you big chicken?" Because that's what I am. A big chicken. And now Pat’s going to pay for it. Great. Just great.