It sounds to me like you made the right choice. I haven't seen the TAFs, but from your description of TEMPO RASH, I'd say that it's safe to fly, but you'd have to be prepared to possibly not reach your destination. If you friends need to be somewhere, flying with that kind of forecast is not the way to get them there.
There are plenty of stories about get-there-itis out there on the web. I don't like reading them, and I certainly don't want to be the one writing them.
FFF
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