MacBook Pro Won't Shut Down, Spinning Wheel of Death

I have searched this forum multiple ways to get an answer to my current issue and none of the suggestions seem to work. Here is what happened:

I closed out an application where I had been scanning my kids artwork into my MacBook Pro (HP Scanner). I closed the computer lid. Went about my business for a few hours. Went to re-open my MacBook Pro to find the spinning rainbow wheel of death. Ok, whatever...waited. It has been "frozen" since last Thursday at noon (yes I know the exact time because the top bar on the home screen is showing me as still charging it, with the date/time of Thursday at noon.)

The only applications it is showing as "active" are "finder" and "adobe". Everything else appears to have been closed out properly.

It will show alerts from my calendar in the upper right corner. I am able to select "close" or "snooze" to dismiss them. They are appearing at the correct times of day in spite of the computer showing that it is Thursday at noon. I was able to select the "spotlight search" in the upper right hand corner as well and escape from that, but I am unable to open or launch anything else on my computer.

I am able to move my cursor around. When scrolling over applications, it turns to an arrow. When on the home screen or panning over the top control bar it is the spinning rainbow. I CANNOT shut it down by holding in the power button. Please do not suggest that I do that. When holding down the power button, the computer makes a beeping sound. I did let the computer run out of battery and then re-charge it and power it back up. I was able to get it re-started and enter my password, however, it immediately went into spinning wheel mode as if I had never shut it down.

I thought perhaps if I tried to synch my phone it would get it unstuck from whatever is causing it to be frozen. No luck. It would't launch iTunes.

I tried inserting a dvd to see if it would launch the movie. No luck. I am unable to get the DVD back out of the drive. The eject button isn't working.

I've tried "Command", "Option" "Escape". No luck.

I thought perhaps there was an issue with the keyboard, but the trackpad is working properly. I am able to get caps lock on and off. I was able to power it back on using the power button. The volume buttons aren't working. The screen brightness buttons aren't working.

I am at my wits end with this. It has been 3 1/2 days and I am unable to do anything useful with my computer. I purchased it in the summer of 2011 so it is almost 4 years old. I have installed all the updates as they become available.

Any suggestions on how to stop the spinning wheel (and all related processes) so that I can actually USE my computer again?

Thanks!