I'm on tour in the UK right now my weekends at the moment involve travelling with my band. Big fun on the motorways.
It was my 44th birthday on Sunday so we did a bit of celebrating – another pint of Greene King, please, barkeep!
When I'm at home in Boise, Idaho, I'll usually go out for dinner with my wife and some friends on Friday night and then get up early on Saturday before my family wakes and take a long mountain bike ride in the foothills.
I'm an avid mountain-biker and Nordic skier, depending on the season. Boise gets very hot in the summer and quite cold and snowy in the winter, so I make the most of the seasons.
I'll often ride bikes with my daughter to the weekly Saturday market in downtown Boise. Lots of fresh vegetable stands and arts and crafts. It's a good chance to bump into friends and acquaintances – and to soak up some sun.
If it's winter, we usually head for the ski hills.
My favourite TV show of late has been Arrested Development. I became addicted to it. It's hilarious. It's off air now but I've been watching the DVD.
My wife and I recently stumbled into a showing of a the rom/com 500 Days of Summer at the cinema, which I really enjoyed. It was a fresh take on the genre, quite romantic but with a bittersweet edge. It stars the quirky and lovely actress Zooey Deschanel, who I must admit is rather easy on the eyes.
Boise has the largest Basque population outside the Basque region and there's a great little Basque taverna called Gernika. I'll take you there for a pint, some croquetas and a lamb grinder.
The only decent takeaway in Boise is pizza, sadly. There's no good curry to be had.
The book I'm currently reading is by the American writer and humorist, David Sedaris. It's called When You Are Engulfed In Flames. It's the kind of stuff that makes you laugh out loud in public places. I mostly read good fiction. I'm also a fan (and friend) of a great young American novelist and short story writer named Anthony Doerr.
At home I listen to National Public Radio, which is sort of like Radio 4 but with a little more pep and more news. There's also a great Saturday midday music show called The Private Idaho Show with a great eclectic mix (www.boisestateradio.edu).
When I'm in the UK I never miss Jonathan Ross on Saturday mornings. I think he's one of the funniest, quickest, most intelligent personalities in the British media. He's a great interviewer and still manages to be hilarious.
If I'm playing music at I might put on some Ray LaMontagne and then some Frank Sinatra, followed by Steve Earle, The Clash and Radiohead. After that, perhaps some jazz singers like Blossom Dearie, Joe Williams and Jon Hendricks. Maybe some Patty Griffin and Elvis Costello after that, with a final dose of B.B. King, Bob Dylan and The Shins. I like good music. I'm not a snob about styles.
I saw Steve Earle in concert in August. Bonnie Raitt and Taj Mahal, too. I'm missing a fantastic gig this month in Boise: Aimee Mann and Fountains of Wayne. So disappointed.
But my idea of a perfect weekend includes my wife and daughter. I'm a family man first and foremost.
Curtis Stigers' latest album Lost In Dreams is out now.
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