Wow. Thanks so much for taking the time to do that!!!
I was able to get to a similar place with my model, but it was a much more convoluted process.
A detail which I'd like to improve upon, is that I'd like the front of the object to have more of a taper... a cross section roughly like this, coming to almost a point at the top and bottom.
I tried using the magnet tool to do this, but it created a harsh edge that doesn't work. Do I need more geometry to make that transition smooth?