National WHAT week??

I just heard a radio commercial promoting the return of Grey's Anatomy in only TWO SHORT WEEKS (their emphasis, not mine). What caught my interest was not the commercial itself, but what came at the end of it.

"Grey's Anatomy--premiering during National Stay at Home Week!" the announcer proclaimed.

National WHAT? When did staying home become something to celebrate, and for a WEEK, at that! What am I missing here? The fact that I'm no longer living a child-free lifestyle, when staying in really was a luxury, a necessary reprieve from all those exhausting nights out on the town, and not a mandatory obligation? Yeah, thanks for the reminder, Mr. Announcer Guy.

It's nice of them to start up the campaign, though. Maybe instead of railing against such a stupid idea (I have an 8-year-old--I'm home EVERY night!), I'll embrace it instead.

"That's right," I'll tell my friends when they call. "I'm staying home tonight. I'd love to go to dinner/the movies/the Academy Awards, but I can't--I'll be home celebrating National Stay at Home Week."

There may be a brief, awkward silence, or perhaps spontaneous laughter, but it won't deter me. I'll advocate National Stay at Home Week (NSAHW), and sell it for all I'm worth. "Surely you've heard of NSAHW?" I'll ask, incredulously. "It's when you go to work all day, and then, afterwards, you celebrate by...well, going home. And staying there. For a whole week!"

I know my friends will be curious (if they haven't hung up already). I'll point out the benefits of staying home, and give one of my Grandma's famous retorts: "Well, it'll keep you outta the bars!" (She said that to everybody, not just me.)

There are a few sticking points I have with the campaign--for example, what if you're a stay-at-home parent? Do you have to keep staying at home, 24/7, for the whole week? And what if--God forbid--we run out of food, or beer? (I mean, we have been home for a week, diminishing the supplies.) Is it okay to leave home for just the briefest of time, to re-stock? Or is it more of a once-you're-home-you-stay-home kinda deal? And how can I truly include my friends and family--if they celebrate with us, are they effectively NOT participating (because they aren't staying home), or does it still count, since they are abiding by the spirit of the law?

I guess it doesn't matter much. I would like to spend more nights ouside the home, engaging in exciting new adventures, but it all comes down to this: I have a third-grader who's in bed by 8 or 8:30 every night. So staying home is pretty much my major form of entertainment.

What I do appreciate about the commercial was what it implied but never said. The commercial promoted the new fall T.V. schedule, but didn't refer to it as National Stay at Home and Watch T.V. Week, which I know is what they really meant. I appreciate them not making me feel any worse about my severely lacking social life.
But most of all, I appreciate them not convincing me to stay home watching T.V. for another reason. It's not that I hate T.V., or even staying home. It's just that I've already set aside a week where I stay home, excitedly glued to the telly. It's called Shark Week!