Head gasket confusion

Coming to PriusChat for an opinion since I'm feeling very stupid. I've read loads of head gasket posts on here at this point yet I'm still confused. I need some help with what I'm reading about HG symptoms vs. what I'm experiencing with my car.

I took my 2014 to get its annual inspection and the garage owner points his light up into the engine and says "See that little drip of oil? You need to replace the head gasket." I couldn't really see anything but said OK. On the receipt it says "Head gasket replace - oil leak. EGR clean." (AFAIK, EGR has not been cleaned/replaced.). I know @Mendel Leisk will reprimand me for not doing that yet!

Here's the state of affairs with my car:

1. Oil looks totally clear (not creamy/coffee-ish) on the dipstick and is in the same spot it's been since the oil change ~2500 miles ago. If it's lower, the difference must be tiny - in other words it doesn't seem to be burning oil?
2. Coolant looks very pink, was slightly below the "Low" line after the car sat a few hours and was cold; drove it a bit, checked, and now it is slightly above the "Low" line. (I guess the system pressurizing can make the apparent level raise?)
3. I've had a single (1) rough start that threw a P0300 6 weeks ago, but it was after a very specific circumstance: I had to move the car a couple feet after it was sitting a day or two, and as the engine came on for initial warmup cycle, I shut it off. Started it up a couple of hours later and it rattled for maybe 3-4 seconds, then smoothed out. First time it ever did that - I read the codes and found the generic misfire code. I cleared it and haven't had a code (or the behavior) since.
4. I usually drive in ECO mode and I don't know if this is psychosomatic, but ever since my car threw a P0A80 about 700 miles ago, it occasionally (rarely, but sometimes) feels hesitant on gentle acceleration in the first minutes of driving, when still cold. I live in the city and it only happens at low speed at the start of the trip.

From what I've read my impression was with HG issues, oil starts obviously burning, your car drinks coolant, or it's death-rattling often (or consistently) on cold starts and sometimes during driving. Between the battery and now this, I'd love to DIY this, but I won't have a garage to work in until a few weeks from now. I need to drive the car and wonder if in the state it's in below if it's OK to do that a bit longer as it is, monitoring oil and coolant?

 

Damn it I edited my post so much I must have removed my vehicle's details, sorry about that:
Mileage: 155K and change.
Extra info: bought a year ago @ $8500 and put in $1700-ish on new front brakes, shocks, links.

Edit: I do not have updated pistons and rings, see below.

 

• Location: can't be specific. Car was up on a lift...little plastic cover under the engine was pulled down, he shone a light up at what looked like a border between black metal and silver metal but maybe I was looking in the wrong place.
• Dealer: no. I didn't want to get a reputation on her for someone who complains about every shop, since I was complaining about the shop who worked on the suspension, but I live in the city and don't trust this shop either! Didn't help that they charged me like 8x the cost of a bulb that took 1 minute to fix (captive audience because it was a state inspection and needed that to pass)
• Miles: 155k and change

 

Yep that's the document I checked, and my VIN is unfortunately before that revision VIN number. Mine is JTDKN3DU3E03xxxxx

 

Ha, no I was just saying "OK, I see it" (I lied, but I asked them like three times "Wait, where is it?" and it was getting slightly awkward)

I did not tell them to do the work; got my inspection sticker and told them to send me an estimate which I've still not received. I'll mail them and also ask where they were shining the flashlight. Won't hold breath on getting that info.

 

Thanks for the contributions all. I'll continue to update this thread as I get more detail, including from the mechanic (I've asked for quote and detail of what he claimed to have seen).

 

In case anyone is interested I got an estimate for a repair with no answer to my pointed question about where the mechanic/owner spotted the oil:

Zerex Asian Vehicle Antifreeze - 1 gal 24.42
Cylinder Head Gasket Set - 352.86
Engine Oil 1Qt. x 5 - 24.35
Engine Oil Filter 8.12
CYLINDER HEAD GASKET + EGR Service - Remove & Replace - [Includes: R&I Engine Assembly: 2,629.88
Total : $ 3,312.66 (parts 409.75 + Labor 2632.88 + Tax 270.03)

Since I'm superstitious, I'm now 100% certain I'll have a catastrophic gasket failure, but my rational side is noting there is no oil under my parking spot, no significant oil or coolant burning (that I can see) and no rough starts. I'm gonna keep driving for now, cross fingers and do EGR/manifold cleaning or replacement soon.

Everything said "As per customer request" in front of it - maybe that's just part of their invoicing software, but my cynical side wonders if that's a CYA in the event they're making stuff up. No offense meant to any honest mechanics reading this!