I am cooking a Judy Bird but forgot the step of keeping uncovered in fridge for 8 hours... can anything be done to compensate for my oversight?

No worries! Pat it dry well with paper towels, and leave it uncovered as long as you reasonably can and it will be fine. If you really want to dry the skin, you can dry it with a hairdryer on a low/cool setting for a bit, too :) That will really give your relatives something to talk about!