diff --git a/mine.lua b/mine.lua
index 440270a..4957b6c 100644
--- a/mine.lua
+++ b/mine.lua
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ local Block = {
             self.v1[dim] = point
             self.v2[dim] = offset
         end
+        self.v1 = self.v1 + pos
         return self
     end,
     take = function (self, amt, dir)
@@ -65,7 +66,7 @@ local Block = {
         local block_offset = -1
         if self.v2[dir] < 0 then
             amt = amt * -1
-            block_offset = block_offset * -1
+            block_offset = 1
         end
 
         local new, remainder = self:copy(), self
@@ -169,7 +170,7 @@ end
 
 -- move to a specific point
 function moveAbs (v)
-    -- print(string.format("Moving to (%d, %d, %d)", v.x, v.y, v.z))
+    -- print(string.format("Moving to (%s)", v:tostring()))
     move(v - getCurrentPos())
 end
 
@@ -248,7 +249,9 @@ function mine (block)
     --    a. don't move vertically if you don't have to
     --    b. set mining mode beforehand
     -- 2. move to the ending point
-    local height = block.v2.y + 1
+    local offset = 1
+    if block.v2.y < 0 then offset = -1 end
+    local height = block.v2.y + offset
     if height % 3 == 0 then
         mode.mine = { up = true, forward = true, down = true }
     elseif height == 2 then
@@ -260,17 +263,17 @@ function mine (block)
     local end_v = block.v1 + block.v2
     if height > 2 then
         start_v = start_v + UNIT_Y
-        end_v = end_v + UNIT_Y
+        end_v = end_v - UNIT_Y
     elseif height < -2 then
         start_v = start_v - UNIT_Y
-        end_v = end_v - UNIT_Y
+        end_v = end_v + UNIT_Y
     end
     moveAbs(start_v)
     moveAbs(end_v)
 end
 
 function canMine (block)
-    local tooHigh = block.v2.y > 2
+    local tooHigh = math.abs(block.v2.y) > 2
     -- we can only mine in a 1-wide strip at a time
     local tooWide = (math.abs(block.v2.x) > 0) and (math.abs(block.v2.z) > 0)
     return not (tooHigh or tooWide)
@@ -296,8 +299,8 @@ function splitHorizontal (block)
         -- 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.z <= block.v2.x then
+    -- (criteria: take the dimension that is not too big)
+    if math.abs(block.v2.z) < BIG_DIM then
         return block:take(1, "z")
     else
         return block:take(1, "x")
@@ -306,7 +309,7 @@ end
 
 function split (block)
     local tooHigh = function (block)
-        return block.v2.y > 2
+        return math.abs(block.v2.y) > 2
     end
     if tooHigh(block) then
         return block:take(3, "y")