Ha ha, another friend told me she took a class in something like group dynamics and that it wasn't what I thought -- so I will scratch that off my list

You're right - in that situation, I'd just as soon not be invited... although, for me, I like to be invited and then just not go. I've been experimenting with treating group events (like parties where there will be a lot of people I don't know) as a game, seeing how many people I can mingle with (and how long it takes before I say something offensive). It definitely makes the time pass more quickly.