FOUND IT!

_includes/header.html

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
         <li><a href="{{ my_page.url | relative_url }}">{{ my_page.title | escape }}</a></li>
         {%- endif -%}
       {%- endfor -%}
- | <?php
+%nbsp| <?php
 $message_array = file("/var/www/pickmy/taglines.txt");
 $message = array_rand($message_array);
 echo "$message_array[$message]";

_sass/base.scss

@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ footer { font-size: 10px; margin-bottom: 20px; }
  */
 .menu { border-top: var(--border);  border-bottom: var(--border); font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 25px; }
 .menu ul { margin-top: 12px;  margin-bottom: 12px;  padding-left: 0px;  list-style-type: none;  text-align: left; }
-.menu ul li { display: inline;  margin-left: 10px; }
+.menu ul li { display: inline;  margin-left: 0px; }
 .menu ul li a { text-decoration: none;  color: var(--text-color); }
 .menu ul li a:hover { text-decoration: none; color: var(--background-color); background-color: var(--base-color); }