before running httpd as requested, I shut down MAMP pro to make sure there wasn't another instance running...
I don't believe I made any changes to httpd.conf, I attached it. If I did make a change it would have been to the virtual host area. I was trying out a few other packages like the bitnami stack to see if I should migrate away from MAMP. At some point I remember one of the packages giving me a warning about the virtual hosts. I know just enough to be dangerous, but not enough to really solve this issue.