Editor's note: Louisiana Tech's Brooke Lassiter, a senior guard and two-year co-captain, will share a weekly diary with ESPN.com throughout the season.

Dec. 17, 2001

Well, I finally set out for the annual Christmas shopping trip this weekend and was able to knock out most of my list all in the one day! I am a pretty specific shopper and I go with intentions and ideas for each person; I can usually get my shopping done without massive confusion.

	Brooke Lassiter averaged 10.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists last season.

My parents joined me at my house after our game on Saturday and we had a traditional sleepover. It was good to see them and I really enjoyed being able to visit with them during our shopping excursion. They joined me for church on Sunday morning and got to meet some of the wonderful people of Ruston that help keep me in line.

My buddy, Katherine, sat with us and enjoyed the Christmas music during the service and told me all about her dog, Snickers. She's a big Lady Techster fan and rarely misses a game. Katherine is a true and loyal fan with some very entertaining stories!

We got back on the winning track last week with a victory over Centenary and the Houston Jaguars. It was a great feeling to regain a little confidence and to see everyone smile again! We just need to focus on each game and take care of one opponent at a time.

A group of my friends and I had dinner tonight and then played a highly competitive game of "Scattergories." We each had our own set of rules and could not find some common ground on several of the questionable calls. It was quite an adventure and I think we laughed more than we played. It is a great game and makes for some fun and exciting conversations! Matt and I kept writing down the same answers; he had to have been cheating off of my paper.

I look forward to next week so I can share with you some of my favorite traditions of our family Christmas and what the season truly means to me!

I leave you with some random but very important advice. Watch out for all stray dogs; you never know when you might be attacked!

Until next week, may your days be filled with family and friends and lots of great food!

Brooke