@bizi: Thanks for the support Bizi! Yes, i meet with these women regularly. I'm not confident that this woman would be pleasant as i've been burned by her sort before. She's really loud and pushy and that's not my sort of friend at all. I don't know what will happen, probably nothing since i can't plan ahead or make commitments. The only way i'll do something for Christmas is if i can make arrangements at the last minute, even right on the day itself. It's pretty likely i'll spend it alone but that's okay, i've done it before lots of times and i have my dog for company and i can count myself lucky to be spared all the family squabbles others are suffering!