Eprom challenged - am I the only electronic clutz here?

Um... be careful about it? I found getting the original chip out much harder than putting the new one in.

Put one side in. Be careful.
Take a credit card, line it up against the side not yet inserted, squeeze very gently until it fits in the socket.

If you haven't broken anything, you can straighten the prongs back.

I also immediately bent the prongs when I tried to fit my brand new EPROM in.
I just bent them back and managed to fit it in, and it works perfectly (and hasn't failed me since I got it, dunno, 6-10 months ago)

Just know you are not alone

I bent mine as well but was able to straighten them out well enough to get them in the socket.

Happened to me once - back in the days - when I was still messin' with PCs and I had to take the Eprom out to flash a new Firmware onto it.
You are definitely not alone. I bet everybody has killed one at some point in his career.

I think the safest is to use IC puller/inserter that some electronic technicians or computer repair shops have. By hand is really a bit difficult but not impossible, in my case I used a ruler.