diff --git a/mine.lua b/mine.lua
index 54b7d7a..e680822 100644
--- a/mine.lua
+++ b/mine.lua
@@ -6,13 +6,9 @@ local FUEL_RESERVE = 800
 local FUEL_REFUEL_UNIT = 8 -- how many items to refuel with at a time
 local FULL_CHECK_SLOT = 14 -- slot to check for "fullness"
 
-
--- what size is good for a medium-size piece
-local MED_DIM = 11
-
 -- what size of a dimension is considered big enough to split into medium-size
 -- pieces
-local BIG_DIM = MED_DIM * 3
+local BIG_DIM = 7
 
 local V_ZERO = vector.new(0, 0, 0)
 local UNIT_X = vector.new(1, 0, 0)
@@ -36,6 +32,7 @@ end
 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)
@@ -63,6 +60,7 @@ local Block = {
         return self
     end,
     take = function (self, amt, dir)
+        -- TODO
         if dir ~= "x" and dir ~= "y" and dir ~= "z" then return nil end
 
         local block_offset = -1
@@ -214,6 +212,8 @@ function dropOffItems (starting_point, go_back)
     print("Time to drop off what I got")
     -- Turn off mining
     mode.mine = { forward = true }
+    -- Note current position (assuming facing FORWARD)
+    local pos_state = getCurrentPos()
     -- Return to origin, facing BACK
     moveAbs(starting_point)
     moveAbs(V_ZERO)
@@ -224,9 +224,10 @@ function dropOffItems (starting_point, go_back)
         turtle.drop()
     end
     turtle.select(1)
-    -- Return to the mining zone, facing forward
+    -- Return to current position, facing forward
     if go_back then
         moveAbs(starting_point)
+        moveAbs(pos_state)
     end
 end
 
@@ -281,19 +282,33 @@ function canMine (block)
 end
 
 function splitHorizontal (block)
-    local take_amt = 1
-    local bigBlock = function (block)
-        return (block.v2.x >= BIG_DIM) or (block.v2.z >= BIG_DIM)
+    -- TODO make this less naive?
+    -- Future work: potentially split a large block into smaller blocks
+    -- based on currentPos (think splitting down the middle instead of
+    -- splitting off of one end)
+    local differentSigns = function (a, b)
+        return math.abs(a + b) < math.abs(a) + math.abs(b)
     end
-    if bigBlock(block) then
-        take_amt = MED_DIM
+    local bigBlock = function (block)
+        return (block.v2.x >= BIG_DIM) and (block.v2.z >= BIG_DIM)
+    end
+    local inMiddleOfBlock = function (block)
+        local middle_of_x = differentSigns(block.v1.x, block.v2.x)
+        local middle_of_z = differentSigns(block.v1.z, block.v2.z)
+        return middle_of_x or middle_of_z
+    end
+    local inMiddleOfBigBlock = function (block)
+        return bigBlock(block) and inMiddleOfBlock(block)
+    end
+    if inMiddleOfBigBlock(block) then
+        -- 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: bite a piece off the bigger dimension)
-    if math.abs(block.v2.z) >= math.abs(block.v2.x) then
-        return block:take(take_amt, "z")
+    -- (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(take_amt, "x")
+        return block:take(1, "x")
     end
 end
 
@@ -309,16 +324,17 @@ function split (block)
 end
 
 function process (stack, starting_point)
+    -- fuel and go to starting point
     refuelUntil(FUEL_RESERVE)
     mode.mine = { forward = true }
     if #stack == 0 then return nil end
-    checkAndDropOff(starting_point)
     local working = table.remove(stack):orient(getCurrentPos())
     print("Working:", working:tostring())
     if canMine(working) then
+        checkAndDropOff(starting_point)
         mine(working)
     else
-        local new, remainder = split(working)
+        local new, remainder = split(working, mode.v)
         table.insert(stack, remainder)
         table.insert(stack, new)
     end
@@ -333,7 +349,7 @@ function run (v1, v2)
 
     process({ block }, starting_point)
     -- return to base
-    dropOffItems(starting_point, false)
+    dropOffItems(starting_point)
     turnToFace(FORWARD)
 end