Well, I went back into safe mode (I'm spending quite a bit of time there lately), and gave it one more try.
I went into the security section, and under permissions was a character string of numbers that I had to 'un-designate' has having authority. It wasn't so much that I didn't have authority, it's that this other 'character' had authority OVER ME.
Once that was done, voila! Gone! Outta here!
I just wasn't doin' the right stuff!
Thanks for everyone's help.