I'm totally in countdown mode. On June 18 I will be flying to Yellowknife and then the next morning on to Iqaluit. I'll be in Iqaluit until June 29 at which time I return to Yellowknife followed the next day by my arrival back in Cambridge Bay. My trip to Iqaluit has been approved and I'm super excited! I'm excited to see some of my friends again, I'm excited to help out with a Habitat build again. And I'm excited to have some time off. I don't mind a working vacation.

I'm also in countdown mode to June 4th. I'm heading back to Edmonton for about a week. There is a meeting that I have been asked to attend. I'm happy to go down for it. I'm also happy cause I'll get to check on my truck, my apartment and maybe if I'm lucky enjoy some HOT weather. And stock up on more groceries. I will also get to meet the Habitat team that I will be building with and find out what they would like me to bring over. I have a feeling my suitcases are going to be overflowing and at maxium weight.

Yeah! Countdown mode.

I'm feeling some anxiety around work. We have a new employee arriving on Monday with her hubby. I'm a bit concerned that they do not know entirely what they are getting into. If they survive the first few months then all will be good. What I am hoping is that she can see past some of the imperfections of her new home. The walls need to be painted, the carpet needs to be replaced, it could use some new blinds and some of the furniture needs replacing. The good news is that she will be able to do this for her apartment shortly after she arrives. The bad part is that I don't know if she will be able to see the trees for the forest. First impressions and all that.

Worst case scenario she hates it and refuses to live there. In that case I will offer up the unit I am in until hers can be renovated. We have another unit coming available the end of June that I think she should really move into and I am hoping that I can convince her of that. It will suck to move twice, but in the end I think she will be happier with the other unit. It doesn't need to be painted or need flooring, etc. Fingers crossed. I have someone coming in this afternoon to clean her unit (AGAIN) and the one beside it. We have offered it up temporarily to one of our other employees. He technically shouldn't have it...they are based on position so it is a temporary move, but the last employee left it...DIRTY. Hopefully the two ladies cleaning this afternoon can make it sparkle.

I'm off to the office shortly. I want to get a few things done at the office before I spend the rest of my day at the apartments throwing out garbage and helping with the cleaning. Yes, I have more than enough office work to keep me occupied but I think the physical work of cleaning will also be a good mental break.

Still lots to do with our hiring season upon us, but...BUT I see a light at the end of the tunnel. I will have offer letters out by the end of the week for all our jobs and then it is a matter of filling the final spots for those not accepting and then the paper work. I'm hoping to have a helper in place by the time it comes to getting all the paper work done.