I misbehaved at my office holiday party. Can I recover?

I know a hard-working 18-year-old who works full time by day and wants to get an electrician certification part time in the evening. He is settling on the first school he visited that he knows he can afford. I don't want him to settle — can you advise which schools in New York are reputable?

I can advise you on how you can research which schools are reputable. The first thing you want to do is make sure the school is accredited, which you can easily determine through the Better Business Bureau and the New York State Education Department. Another place to check is to contact the electrical workers' union — the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) — and ask for recommendations from the local chapter. You'll also want to research the job-placement history for graduates from the school, and potentially speak to some of the alumni to get their opinions of the institution. And while I can be handy around the house when pressed into action, when it comes to electricity I'm barely comfortable changing a light bulb — so when the kid gets his license, tell him to give me a call.

I think I may have been "that guy" at the holiday office party — from what I can remember, anyway. How does one recover from having a little too much holiday spirit and punch?

Depends on what you did, Lampshade Larry. Did you grope the boss' daughter — or the boss? Have what appeared to be "an episode" on the dance floor — for an hour? Or were you just a giant hot mess in general? Some things you can't recover from, and you might be ringing in the new year looking for a new job. Regardless, if apologies are in order, then in-person, heartfelt contrition is a good first step, whether for a specific act or simply for making a spectacle of yourself. However, before you try to recover, make sure you aren't overreacting: Ask a buddy or anyone you trust if any damage control is necessary. You might be fine simply by never speaking of the evening, hoping your company has a short news cycle — and waiting until someone else takes the spotlight for bad behavior, which is inevitable.