I'm fine with waiting - I'm not a winter-sower, don't live in a warm-winter zone, and hugely busy at this time of year.
I'm sure it is a huge hassle for the host, juggling dozens of boxes and not knowing when they can get their living room back.
it might be worthwhile to have a generic rule stated up front for all swaps. Something that most hosts would agree to but might not know how to word gently. Something like "If you don't have it in the mail by the 'ship by' date, or don't send the tracking number to the host by that date, the host MAY take you out of the swap. Communicate with the host ASAP if you might be late! Unexplained dropouts may be barred from future ATP Swaps."
Individual hosts might ease that if the member Treemailed an explanation and the host accepted it. Like being a few days late or forgetting the tracking number.
'Tis the season for depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder and long lines at the PO.
Does anyone have an online way to print postage that they like? PayPal's "multi-order shipping" used to be awkward to use, but it did the job very cheaply.
