1+1 still equals 2, right?

I stumbled on this: Friend Algorithm
I can relate to Sheldon, especially his over-analyzing of everything. I had hoped to find what I was originally looking for, a comedian talking about how easy it was to make friends as a young kid. You shared something in common, be it a toy, an event, etc and you made friends for life. Now, as adults, it's about "what can this person do for me?".
That's how a lot of my adult friendships have been.  I am asked to dog-sit, house-sit, baby-sit and line-sit... that's a lot of sitting! When I ask about going out, suddenly they have plans or give me less than an hour's notice.  I get invited places, but it's for things they want me to spend a lot of money on.  One gal, in an effort to help out her (real?) friends, invited me to eight various shows in one month...EIGHT! Between the Pampered Chef, TupperWare, Adult, Purses, Avon, etc... I could've spent hundreds.  Thankfully, she didn't question me when I told her I had goals I wanted to save for.  I would be there, but not buy much, if anything.  Other people ask if I'm free on a Sunday afternoon, only to find out that it's for their cousin's third bridal shower and could I please chip in for the present? Or the people I  have never met but ask me to add them so they can join my Mafia, Crew, whatever...
So yes I have friends.  Friends at work that tend to stay at work, friends on my social networking site that I have never met (nor talk to), people from school that I have a passing interest in how they are doing (or when I was unclear if I wanted to attend my reunion), people that post pictures, blogs that I follow... the list goes on.
But REAL friends? Those are few... and they ebb and flow.  The people from work get more of my free time one month, my long term buds, the next.  I don't want them to turn into a singular blob... the little groupings they make allow me to access different parts of myself.  I miss them when they are not there, but I know that if I wait... the tide will bring them back.
All else fails, I have an algorithm. LMAO