diff --git a/mine.lua b/mine.lua
index 09a6224..440270a 100644
--- a/mine.lua
+++ b/mine.lua
@@ -29,13 +29,14 @@ function copy_v(v)
     )
 end
 
-local bmetatable
+local bmetatable, new_block
 -- what is this? a type that holds a starting position and a dimention as
 -- two vectors
 -- TODO learn about metatables
 local Block = {
     -- orient our corner and offset to a vector
     orient = function (self, pos)
+        self.v1 = self.v1 - pos
         local dims = {
             x = { self.v1.x, self.v1.x + self.v2.x },
             y = { self.v1.y, self.v1.y + self.v2.y },
@@ -61,15 +62,21 @@ local Block = {
         -- TODO
         if dir ~= "x" and dir ~= "y" and dir ~= "z" then return nil end
 
+        local block_offset = -1
+        if self.v2[dir] < 0 then
+            amt = amt * -1
+            block_offset = block_offset * -1
+        end
+
         local new, remainder = self:copy(), self
-        new.v1[dir] = amt
+        new.v2[dir] = amt + block_offset
         remainder.v1[dir] = remainder.v1[dir] + amt
         remainder.v2[dir] = remainder.v2[dir] - amt
 
         return new, remainder
     end,
     copy = function (self)
-        return Block.new(
+        return new_block(
             vector.new(self.v1.x, self.v1.y, self.v1.z),
             vector.new(self.v2.x, self.v2.y, self.v2.z)
         )
@@ -85,7 +92,7 @@ bmetatable = {
     __index = Block,
 }
 
-local new_block = function (v1, v2)
+new_block = function (v1, v2)
     return setmetatable(
         { v1 = v1, v2 = v2 },
         bmetatable
@@ -265,7 +272,7 @@ end
 function canMine (block)
     local tooHigh = block.v2.y > 2
     -- we can only mine in a 1-wide strip at a time
-    local tooWide = block.v2.x > 0 and block.v2.z > 0
+    local tooWide = (math.abs(block.v2.x) > 0) and (math.abs(block.v2.z) > 0)
     return not (tooHigh or tooWide)
 end
 
@@ -286,14 +293,14 @@ function splitHorizontal (block)
         return bigBlock(block) and inMiddleOfBlock(block)
     end
     if inMiddleOfBigBlock(block) then
-        -- TODO
+        -- TODO split the big block at where the turtle is near
     end
     -- decide whether to take a slice off of the x or z direction
     -- (criteria: take the dimension with the smaller length)
-    if block.v2.x <= block.v2.z then
-        return block:take(1, "x")
-    else
+    if block.v2.z <= block.v2.x then
         return block:take(1, "z")
+    else
+        return block:take(1, "x")
     end
 end
 
@@ -301,7 +308,6 @@ function split (block)
     local tooHigh = function (block)
         return block.v2.y > 2
     end
-    block = block:orient(getCurrentPos())
     if tooHigh(block) then
         return block:take(3, "y")
     else
@@ -313,7 +319,6 @@ function process (stack, starting_point)
     -- fuel and go to starting point
     refuelUntil(FUEL_RESERVE)
     mode.mine = { forward = true }
-    -- TODO
     if #stack == 0 then return nil end
     local working = table.remove(stack):orient(getCurrentPos())
     print("Working:", working:tostring())