Sitting through another round of the State of the Union, I am reminded how far removed from national politics I have taken myself since the presidential election last November.</p><p>Maybe I&#x2019;m exhausted by all of it.</p><p>Gas prices spike. The needle seems to barely move on unemployment. I&#x2019;m generally uninspired by what&#x2019;s going on in Washington, D.C.</p><p>And the State of the Union did little to change that for me.</p><p>The acknowledgments to Rep. Gabby Gifford and the victims of the Sandy Hook shooting were a positive ending to the hour-long speech by President Barack Obama.</p><p>Obama&#x2019;s argument is that Congress should at least put some gun control measures to a vote, up or down, that the victims and families of these nationwide shootings deserve at least that.</p><p>Other than that, the speech was largely uninspiring, especially for the first one to start his second term.</p><p>I was nearly reduced to trying to guess the Easter-like colors of the ties of Obama, VP Joe Biden and Speaker of the House John Boehner &#x2013; purple, lavender, periwinkle?</p><p>And how many times did we think Boehner was going to come to his feet, only to offer tepid applause and gaze into the distance.</p><p>Now, admittedly, I was distracted during this particular SOTU speech.</p><p>Across the country, a much bigger story was unfolding as a suspected multi-murderer was holed up in a cabin in California while law enforcement was preparing to end the manhunt and apparent standoff.</p><p>Events like that certainly put politics into perspective.</p><p>But back in D.C., things were lukewarm.</p><p>We&#x2019;re going to add jobs. We&#x2019;re going to build bridges and roads. We&#x2019;re going to raise minimum wage.</p><p>And while I get that Obama cannot lay out all his specifics and plans to accomplish these worthy goals in one mere speech &#x2013; the State of the Union is supposed to be an update and look into the future as it were &#x2013; we are often left with more questions than answers each February when this event rolls around.</p><p>And lately, the annoyance has to do with the two major party&#x2019;s lack of cooperation.</p><p>Obama makes a speech. Marco Rubio rebukes it. And we&#x2019;re no closer to a balanced budget or meaningful collaboration.</p><p>So, I am taking some time off from politics.</p><p>I might need some Ron Paul or the &#x201C;rent is too damn high&#x201D; guy to break me out of this funk.</p><p>Or maybe I will check back in at the midterms in 2016. Surely we will have gotten something done by then.