This week, I went back to Butterball Turkey Talk-Line headquarters for a refresher course in All Things Turkey. I was honestly surprised by how much I remembered.

And then we took a food safety quiz and I was horrified by how much I had forgotten. Yikes.

Last year, the idea of prepping a turkey in front of the Talk-Line experts scared the bejesus out of me. This year, I was more laid back — so laid back, in fact, that I stuffed a raw turkey with my bare hands. (OK that was really because the other girls took all the latex gloves, but still, go me! And yes, I had washed before I stuck my hand in the bird. And yes, I washed again afterward. Promise.)

It was funny to sit through the cooking class this year and think, “Hey, I know that!” When Marty asked if anyone had ever used a convection oven to cook a turkey, I was able to raise my hand. And when she asked if anyone had ever fried a turkey, I said yes to that too. Although she did have some brand new tips on getting the netting off the turkey breast. (Loosen it before you put the breast in the oven, and then, when it comes out, wrap it in foil for ten minutes to steam the string off — brilliant! And so much more effective than our method, which is to hack at the breast until it falls apart. Presentation FAIL.)

I’ll be going back to Chicago on Thanksgiving day, and I’m really excited — there’s something so cool about being at the Talk-Line when the phones are ringing and the experts are really fielding calls. I’m sure I’ll spend the entire morning wandering around saying, “I’m not saying that’s necessarily a deal breaker.”

Kind of makes you want to call 1-800-BUTTERBALL, doesn’t it? (Although I will not be answering phones — I get to talk to the media, not the consumers, which is still a risky proposition, I think.)

The best part of being at Butterball headquarters, though (ok aside from the turkey which was OMG so delicious) is this little tingle of excitement about the holidays that has replaced the underlying bad mood I’ve been nursing for, oh, six months. It’s impossible to be around women who have been answering turkey questions for years (ten or fifteen or twenty or MORE!) and who are still enthusiastic and excited about turkeys and Thanksgiving and Butterball and not get a little geeked out about the holidays.

Bring on the turkey. I’m ready. Are you?

*Jed Bartlet FTW!