Thank you @MrR3boot for a great box and I finally got root after what seemed like an eternity.
There are a few people that helped along the way and I would like to thank all of them and especially @snownoob and @MariaB for their help and patience as I worked my way through this totally frustrating and overall excellent learning experience.
It is my turn to return the help to others that may be struggling and time for my next challenge.