okay, i have my own answer.
the best way to change the bulb is forget about trying to reach it from the top (at least this is true for the left side because of the batter). you best bet is to crawl under the car and just reach up for the back of the bulb and give it an 1/8 of turn to release it from the housing. change twist the bulb out and replace.
hope this helps somebody.
thanks