While you have the family there, consider having a buffet dinner, with
the buffet line formed on the lump, and running parallel to the table.
This way after everyone's passed through the buffet line, the lump
should pretty well be flattened. This might work best however, if you
first remove the missing idiot assistant's body first....

Nice try TROLL!

About an hour later he returned and asked if we had seen his
assistant.
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..
..
With Christmas coming this week, and the whole family coming, we
would
like to do something ourselves to at least reduce the size of that
lump, so my mother in law dont trip on it again. Unless the
installer
comes before the end of the week, I see no other option but to do
something myself. The lump is about six feet long and two feet wide.
..
..
..
I am not sure what to do about this lump. Does anyone have any
suggestions what could cause a lump like this, and how to get rid of
it?