I made it 10
I had the same problem of going away over a month-end last year so I just PM'd GW before I left. The downside was I had to do my guesstimate 14 days before the due date.
To be fair to everyone else, it can be a big advantage to be late with your guess and I think it's right to apply a big penalty (or even treat them as missing), For instance anyone putting in a March figure now would have the advantage of all the official "upping" of the warm spell being forecast just in the last day or two which wasn't so prominent in the models at the end of Feb. So I think it's a case or "rules is rules " for these late guesses (IMO only)
You're quite right it is ten, but Saint was saying his guess for March was naff and I meant he still had a further nine more guesses. That's the problem with posts that can only quote once, rather than showing the whole conversation. But it makes it interesting!
I absolutely agree with the fairness of the penalty system and I'd rather be included late than miss the competition altogether - it's the taking part that counts, so I'm happy! I really should have pm'd my guess but all my thoughts were with the sun drenched beach waiting for me and a bikini soaked Pina colada - Saint's fault! Anyway, in my case, it makes no difference whether my guesses are early or late because they're all plucked out of thin air.
Market Warsop, North Nottinghamshire.
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