aside from adjusting the rear brakes, the linings are likely glazed, maybe the drums too.  You can go at the shoes and break the glaze with 80 grit sandpaper.  Drums might benefit from a skim cut. Be careful who you take the drums to. Most shops will cut them too thin and then you'll need to buy new ones.

Yes, and the weather is cooling off so I agree I should shine it on.

I have driven it long distances and it peaks at just above the N and stays there.
Except the time when I first drove it home and like a dummy, left the hand brake on for three miles
on the hottest day of the year. Then it pushed up to 3/4 on the way to H.

So now I see why my hand brake doesn't hold well 

I have messed around with gauges many times and once (non-Mini) done as you suggested with an inline resistor to change the gauge's reading without recalibrating.

Given the fact that you KNOW what the water temp is when the gauge is slightly above "N", I would do nothing.  Adding resistance to the circuit may lower the needle a bit but you'll still be second guessing it or telling yourself "That's really 178 degrees".  

I am convinced that my "modern" (15 year old) daily driver does not have a real temperature gauge.  Its running temp never changes once driven a few miles regardless of how hot or cold it is outside or how fast/far I have driven.  I really believe modern cars have "gauges" that are really analog idiot lights.  

On my '68, the Smith's temp guage gets up a click past N after full warm-up (about 6 miles at an average 78 degree day).
I've tested the temp at the sender at that point and it reads 182 degrees F. The thermostadt
housing area reads 178. So I have heard you can place a 1,000 ohm resistor between the sender
and the guage for peace of mind from an over-reporting guage.
Has anyone accomplished this easily and if so how is it done?
So far I have just left it alone.