I Have a Cold

I noticed a scratchy throat working in the Patent Office campus Thursday, and searched one of my desk drawers, where I found one last zinc gluconate lozenge, which I sucked on. I also drank some herbal tea to soothe my throat. Going home on the subway and bus, I was glad to be wearing a mask, as I figured it would reduce the chance of my infecting someone else. My throat continued to be sore, and I did some sneezing and nose-blowing. I didn’t set the alarm, and tried to sleep late in the morning; then I put on a new mask, and headed to CVS to buy zinc gluconate lozenges and a couple of other items. I have done some teleworking today.

This has been my first cold since before March of 2020; whatever else you can say about them, social distancing and telework have reduced the spread of contagious diseases. I don’t feel deathly ill, but I have felt tired and uncomfortable. Just maybe, I could have knocked out the cold the first day if I had been able to hit the viruses with multiple zinc lozenges.

The Red Queen’s Race

There were no new amendments this week, and I posted an Office Action on one of my two existing amendments, so I’m down to one amendment on my Amended docket.

I have been working on my oldest Regular New application, but I’m not finished with it. Also, a Quality Tracker found alleged deficiencies in one of my Office Actions (I rejected the application on other grounds, but did not find it obvious under 35 U.S.C. 103). This alleged deficiency is not an “error”, and not an official black mark. It is something of a gray mark that could lead to further consequences, so, after discussing the matter with my supervisor, I spent some time yesterday writing a rebuttal, saying that the prior art does not actually disclose what the reviewer says that it discloses.