Have you dropped by IRC? Always happy to help answer questions in real-time.

  > how to to either move a variable out of a block,

Blocks evaluate to a value, so if it's a movable type, it will move.

    let x = {
        let s = String::new();
        // stuff happens with s

        s
    };

Here, s will move out of the block, and into x.

    > more importantly define a lifetime on `Ok(r) => r,` so that the result can escape the block.

Lifetimes cannot extend the life of something, they are descriptive, not prescriptive. So I think you might be trying something that's impossible...