Thank you everybody, and I apologize for the slight derail of the thread. I should have posted this in a new thread...
I disconnected the e-brake (duh) and I was able to pull out the shafts a little more, with the dust shield. My differential assembly is now out. Now I realize I don't have anything to keep the assembly in place while I try to loosen the ring gear bolts. Only a woodwork vise. Maybe I'll get an impact, and hopefully that will work. Oh, well, fun stuff...
Yeah, Eddie, I hear you... HOA's are crazy around here. Every way you turn, there's an HOA. Fees and restrictions always go up. I have an outdoor parking spot in a cul-de-sac, away from the street, quite private, plenty of space... but, no... not allowed...
For reference, did your differential assembly (carrier) come out with little effort or did you have to pry it out?