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your car, at worst we provide some mild entertainment for our readers. 
If you are still with me, let's give it a go ...

First of all I would resist driving the car until you identify and correct the problem(s). The symptoms you describe not only create the great possibility of a safety issue, adjusting the driving style to compensate for the original problem could very well end up creating other problems. This not to mention the creation of a cycle of frustration related to the car, which is hardly the ideal troubleshooting environment.
I would first isolate any possible accelerator linkage binding problems. Bring the car up to normal operating temperature, then shut it down. Loosen the throttle cable (at the carburettors) enough so that the throttle butterflies are at their "idle" position, and then with the car in neutral, wheels chocked and emergency brake set, start the car and note the idle speed.
If the idle speed is acceptable, blip the throttle by hand, noting how quickly it returns to idle speed. If it does not return to idle and you are sure the throttle cable is slack enough that it is not binding, then it sounds like the problem lies within the carburettor's throttle linkage itself, possibly as simple as the throttle return spring being broken/missing/weak. If however, with the cable loose the car drops back to idle then this points to binding problems within the accelerator assembly. Consider replacing the accelerator cable as a preventative measure as well as checking, cleaning & lubricating the pedal's mechanism.
If even with the throttle cable slackened the idle is still too high, using your hand check the range of motion for the throttle assemblies on the carbs. Obviously the "idle" position should correspond to a smooth slow tick over, I presume in the < 1000rpm category. If this is not the case then check to make sure nothing is binding and the throttle stop screws are backed out accordingly. 

I consider this to be on the fringe of the "making things worse" category (ie. Completely undrivable), so don't be embarrassed to throw in the towel and take it to a shop.
  If however you're still with us and after doing all of this you still have not located the problem, then it points to something more difficult to find such as a vacuum leak (as you mentioned).
IMO there's no easy way to check for vacuum leaks other than just getting in there. Some old-timers say you can spray WD-40 on hoses & manifold joints to see if it changes the engine seed, but I personally have never tried it. 
With the engine running (wheels chocked, e-brake set), systematically go about the hoses in the engine compartment (especially those nearer o the engine as they are the ones most affected by engine heat and vibration),  checking the hose for cracking (crack kills) and brittleness. Also make sure the ends of the hose are secure and that moving the hose dos not affect the engine speed. When in doubt, replace the hose.
If by now the problem hasn't jumped out at you it might be time to consider a professional, that or host a Club meeting and then casually mention the problem while you are standing around the snack table. 
Depending on your locale, there are several excellent Lotus repair businesses in the Bay Area. Check the back of the Chapman Report for their addresses.
Should any readers provide additional debugging suggestions I will print them here and pass them along.

~Ed.

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