Lift With Your Knees

When the flooring was delivered on Thursday, it was carried from the van to my living room by two men; both of whom are probably in better shape than I’ve ever been. When they asked where to put it, I went for the easy solution and told them to put it against the wall, over by the window.
Shortly after they left, I realized that having the wood against the wall was going to interfere with my plans to wash and paint the walls. So I decided to move it.
Due to some unexpected circumstances, about the only thing I accomplished on Thursday was to move the TV to the basement. (Someone suggested that when it comes time to move things back, I should think carefully about whether I really want to keep some of the stuff. I’ve only switched the TV on once in 2008; clearly I have some thinking to do.) Friday, I already knew I was going out and wouldn’t get much done at home.
So today I moved the flooring materials into the middle of the room. A box containing 24 square feet of oak flooring has an appreciable mass, but it’s easy enough to move it five feet away from the window.
Moving 40 such boxes requires a bit of caution. (Hint: Bend your knees, not your back.)