Dad's excuse note cites Springsteen for daughter's tardiness

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y., Feb. 10 (UPI) -- A New York state nominee for dad of the year wrote his 12-year-old daughter a tardiness excuse note that told the truth: She was at a Springsteen concert.

Patrick Pipino of Saratoga Springs said he let his daughters, Isabelle, 12, and Sarah, 7, sleep in Tuesday and he posted a picture to Facebook of the excuse note he wrote for Isabelle.

The note reads:

"To Whom It May Concern,

Please excuse Isabella's tardiness to school today.

In the interest of honesty, I feel it my obligation to be straight with all of you as to the reason.

Last night Isabelle was lucky enough to see Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band in Albany, and darned if he didn't play for three and a half hours.

This may not seem like a good excuse, but have you ever wondered how many kids would be late -- or miss school outright -- if God were to suddenly appear?

It's something like that.

Sincerely,

Patrick Pipino"

"They both love Bruce Springsteen, and have ever since the older one was only 4 years old," Pipino told ABC News. "Isabelle would be singing from the back seat and if I had something else on, she would say, 'Dad, can we listen to Springsteen?' Sometimes she would even say, 'Can we listen to old Springsteen?'"

Pipino said the girls' teachers, some of whom also attended the concert, were amused, but their mother -- who is also a schoolteacher in the district -- was less than thrilled by the note.

"We don't give that many things to out daughters, we try to give experiences," Pipino told WNYT-TV.