News of my Cupcacity has reached the Credit Bureaus

Cupcacity- n. "cupcakeyness"

Every day, I receive between 1 -3 unsolicited credit card offers in my mailbox. Everyday. I consider this annoying and, in these times rife with identity fraud, downright unsafe and irresponsible. SuperSkater told me there is a way to opt out of these offers, which I will pursue when I get the copy of my Credit Report I requested after my credit card number was stolen.

I have two credit cards, one which rewards me with Amazon.com Gift Certificates and the other with free trips on Amtrak. This is all the credit I can handle ("handle" is being used loosely here when you consider that I already owe more on both cards than I ever thought I would incurr in a lifetime's worth of personal non-education related debt). I don't want any more credit cards. I pull each of these offers aside to shred, usually without opening them.

However, I am a sucker for "points" so I like to see the kinds of incentives I am being offered. I get offers from the AmEx NYC card. Discounts at restaurants where I can't afford to eat anyway? Toss. The LL Bean Card. Clothes that suited me when I lived out by the Berkshires but no longer fit my urban life style? Toss. The Smith Alumnae Association Card. Don't hold your breath Alma Mata! Toss. Last night, I received a credit card offer that stoppd me in my tracks.

I was pre-approved for the King Arthur Flour Premium Master Card. What. The. Hell. Spend $1500, get a free five pound sack of unbleached cake flour? No, actually you earn gift certificates to the Baker's Catalog. How did these people find me? Then I remembered that I used to get the King Arthur Baker's Catalog and I once bought a scone pan from them. Then I decided that whenever I received the catalog I had to throw away immediately upon receipt because the temptation to purchase heart-shaped ramekins and pastel colored coarse sugars was too great for my mocha-iced willpower to handle. I see now they have a section in the online catalog called "Cupcake Capers" so I think I made the right decision. The catalog never found me again after I moved, but somehow, eight months later, I have been pre-approved for the Mastercard. Nice try credit card companies! Don't get me wrong, this offer went right into the "shred" pile, but at least this time you enticed me to actually open the envelope.