Microwave Woes

Maybe this is an odd post for this type of blog but we do have a microwave--or did.

You know when your tv breaks, it just stops working or the sound goes out or whatever but when your microwave breaks, it's a whole different story...
The first microwave I ever had, we bought when they first came out. It was $250 and that was a whole lot but we happened to have the money so got one. It lasted 12 years! Then it started to smoke and burn one day the most toxic fumes I have ever had to breath---because I was trying to get through the smoke to get it unplugged and then when I finally got it, the damn thing wouldn't stop(and my oldest son added to my worries because he refused to leave the house with the younger kids!) so I finally slammed the door, got a good breath, ran in the smoke picked it up and threw it out the door (it finally stopped working then). I have never had one that went since then do quite that but they all let off some awful fumes when they go and none of them since then (with the exception of one I got from the flea market that lasted about 5 years) have lasted more than a year or two. So the one I have/had now I bought the year before last, we even got the more expensive one hoping it would last longer than a year, was supposed to be cooking popcorn last night when it made and odd sound and became bright as a beacon. All I can think of is that it looks like the cartoons when they put something in the microwave to blow it up. I crept up to it and very carefully, for fear of getting shocked good, pulled the door and as luck would have it this time the thing shut off. It did have that lovely odor they all have and a nice burn spot on one side but it wasn't smoking or on fire anyway.
So we just stepped back into the dark ages again, lol, Ramen noodles just don't  taste the same cooked on the stove.